


Pokemon: Down the Line

by toasty_coconut



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Future Fic, Multi, Next Generation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 08:42:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 106,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23348623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toasty_coconut/pseuds/toasty_coconut
Summary: Ash's journey is over, and a decade after he's won the Champion title, his daughter is ready to begin a journey of her own. Follow Skylar Ketchum, alongside her friends and rivals, as they embark on adventures and discover the incredible world of Pokemon. Ships include Pokeshipping, Contestshipping, Ikarishipping, Leafgreenshipping, among others.
Relationships: Haruka | May/Shuu | Drew, Hikari | Dawn/Shinji | Paul, Kasumi | Misty/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Leaf/Ookido Shigeru | Gary Oak
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	1. Game: START!

**Part I: Kanto**

" _ I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was." _

* * *

**_February 27th, 2023. Evening. Indigo Plateau, Kanto._ **

" _ The battle between the Kanto League Champion Lance Grayson and Elite Four member Ash Ketchum rages on here tonight at the Indigo Plateau! But with both trainers down to their last Pokemon, who will come out victorious?! _ " The voice of the battle commentator rang loudly throughout the buzzing stadium.

The six-on-six battle between the Kanto Champion and one of his own Elite Four members was one that many fans had been anticipating for a long time—and with just Pikachu and Dragonite remaining on the field, its climax had peaked. Would Lance be able to maintain his title? Or would Ash Ketchum finally defeat him and achieve his long-time dream of becoming a Pokemon Master?

The winter's chilly air caused the hairs on the back of Ash's neck to rise, but the blood rushing through his body from the heat of the battle burned through the cold. He watched with focused eyes as Pikachu narrowly avoided a Dragon Claw attack beneath the blinding stadium lights. 

Ash gritted his teeth. Pikachu's movements were beginning to slow down, and his attacks were weakening in power. He was running out of time, and he knew it. But they had come all this way—they refused to stop here.

"Dragonite, use Twister!" Lance commanded.

Dragonite was quick to follow his master's orders, letting out a roar as he leapt into the air. He batted his wings aggressively, whipping up a whirlwind that was heading straight for the small Mouse Pokemon. The attack was moving fast, and Pikachu was too exhausted to manage the strength to dodge. Ash could only watch helplessly as Pikachu took a direct hit.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried, stumbling backwards and landing on his side.

"Pikachu! Are you okay?!" Ash called out to his Pokemon from the trainer's box painted on the field.

Pressing his tiny paws to ground, Pikachu began to make the struggle to rise to his feet again, gritting his teeth together as Dragonite landed a few yards away.

" _ Pikachu takes yet another hit from Dragonite's Twister attack! It's beginning to look pretty run down! Is this the end of the line for Ash and his Pikachu!? _ "

"Shake it off, Pikachu!" Ash called, swiping his arm in front of him. "Get back up!"

Pikachu stared dizzily across the field to Dragonite and Lance. His vision was blurred, but he could make out Dragonite curling its claws, beckoning Pikachu to get back up.

Letting out a growl, Pikachu sparked his cheeks and finally rose to his feet. "Pikachu!" he cried with a newfound energy.

" _ Incredible! _ " the commentator boomed." _ Pikachu gets right back up! Its fighting spirit hasn't died yet! _ "

The crowd erupted into a cheer, many of them repeatedly chanting Pikachu's name. Lance furrowed his brows together, unwavered.

"Good job, Pikachu!" Ash praised, letting out the shaky breath he had been holding. "Now, use Electro Web!"

Obeying his trainer's command, Pikachu sprung upwards, rapidly spinning in a circle as a ball of electricity built at the tip of his tail. "Pika, pika, pika!" Drawing his tail back, he released the ball of energy directly in range of Dragonite. "Chu pi!"

Lance didn't falter as the Electro Ball drew closer. "Dragonite, take it down with your Dragon Claw!"

Taking a step back, Dragonite raised an arm into the air, its claws glowing bright green as they slashed straight through Pikachu's attack before the web could take form.

Ash smirked, pointing his finger forward. "Quick Attack!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried as it sprinted towards Dragonite, crashing into its abdomen and knocking it off of its feet.

Lance's eyes widened when he saw his dragon-type Pokemon slam into the ground, Pikachu jumping back a safe distance. He was so focused on Pikachu's Electro Web that he hadn't seen it coming.

"What?!"

" _ Amazing! While Dragonite was distracted, Pikachu honed in with a Quick Attack—knocking it right down! _ "

The crowd burst into cheers after Pikachu successfully landed the hit, and Ash grinned as Pikachu jumped back.

"If Pikachu is too tired to dodge, then we have to think a little more creatively!" Ash called to Lance from across the field. Lance scolded himself inwardly for falling for such a tactic. He had known Ash long enough that he should have expected him to start pulling tricks.

Dragonite pressed his fist into the ground, letting out a huff and rising to his feet once more. He narrowed his gaze on Pikachu like he was an old rival, and Pikachu sparked his cheeks tauntingly in return.

"We're done playing games!" Lance boomed, pushing the palm of his hand forward. "Dragonite, let's finish this here! Giga Impact!"

Dragonite let out a grunt in agreement, backing up and springing into the air. As soon as was high enough, he dove to the ground. His body became encased in a bright, white light as he poured all of his energy into the attack. Pikachu didn't falter, furrowing his brows together while he waited for his trainer's command.

"Stand your ground, Pikachu! Don't move!" Ash demanded.

Pikachu perked his ears in alarm, looking back at Ash as if he had misheard him. "Pika!?"

" _ What's this?! Ash is commanding his Pokemon to stay put! What is he thinking?! This might be it, folks!"  _ the commentator said as a confused murmur rushed across the bleachers. If Pikachu took the hit from this attack it was over.

Ash flashed his Pokemon a confident grin. "We can do this, buddy! Just trust me!" His eyes didn't leave Pikachu's.

Pikachu stared at Ash, reading his expression. Noticing the flame flickering in his trainer's eyes, Pikachu felt a burning fire begin to kindle inside of himself.

He smiled understandingly, sparking his cheeks and nodding. "Pika!" Standing firmly on all fours, he turned to face the oncoming attack. Dragonite was gaining speed rapidly, and the white light that encased him only glowed brighter as he descended, Pikachu just mere feet away.

* * *

**_April 1st, 2034. Morning. Pallet Town, Kanto._ **

The battle froze. Dragonite hovered in midair while Pikachu stared directly into his eyes with a determined gaze.

" _ Skye! _ " an angry voice snapped from across the room.

It only took Skylar Ketchum a moment to realize that the battle she was watching on the screen in front of her had stopped. She had been so wrapped up in following every move that she hadn't even heard her mother enter the room, pick up the remote from off of her desk, and pause the television.

"Hey! What gives?" Skye rose from her bed and turned to face her mother. "Mom, unpause it!"

Misty ignored her, putting the remote back down. "You know, I thought I heard noises coming from your room earlier," she started, placing her hands on her hips. "Have you been watching TV all night?"

"Uh, I was not 'watching TV'," Skye objected, sounding less than amused as she crossed her arms defensively. "I was studying battles!"

She appeared satisfied with herself, puffing out her chest with a smug smile plastered on her face. Misty remained unconvinced. The only time she had ever heard her daughter mention studying was, well, never.

Skye continued, holding up a finger, "If I want to be a Pokemon Master someday, then I need to get ahead of the game and start preparing myself!" she explained matter-of-factly before opening an eye and smirking at Misty. "You can't yell at me for doing  _ that _ ."

Misty let out a long, irritated breath as she rubbed her face with both hands. She wasn't going to humor this.

"Please tell me that you got at least a  _ little _ sleep."

"Not a wink."

" _ Skylar _ !" Misty scowled. "You have a long day ahead of you, and now you're going to be exhausted! What were you thinking?"

Skye shrugged her off. "C'mon, Mom! This is nothing!" Grinning, she punched her fist forward. "Once I start my Pokemon journey, I'll be training late into the night all the time! This is all just a part of the preparation! You know, endurance building and stuff!"

"Even great Pokemon Masters need sleep!" Misty snapped, causing Skye to cringe. "Taking care of yourself and resting when you have to is an important part of being a trainer—especially before a big day like this one."

Skye groaned. "But I couldn't sleep even if I wanted to!" She fell back onto her bed and smiled at the ceiling. "I'm getting my very first Pokemon today! I was way too excited to even think about something like sleeping!" She closed her eyes, waving a hand. "Besides, I'm not even tired!"

Misty watched Skye for a long moment until shrugging it off with a sigh. There was no point in pressing the matter further.

"Well, since you're awake, why don't you at least start getting ready and come downstairs?" Misty advised, turning back to the door. "Breakfast should be done in a few minutes." And with that, she left, closing the door behind her.

Skye remained laying on her back until she heard the clicking sound of the door being shut. She smirked to herself, hastily sitting up and jumping out of bed. She grabbed the remote from off of her desk and unpaused the television.

The battle came bursting back to life. Dragonite continued his descent onto Pikachu, who was crouched down defensively, waiting for his trainer's order.

" _ Now! Thunderbolt! _ " Ash finally commanded, punching his fist towards the sky.

Dragonite had finally reached the close range that Ash had been waiting for, and the shock on Lance's face was visible as soon as he called out the attack. Lance took a step back when he saw Pikachu pounce.

" _ Pikachu! _ " Pikachu cried loudly, releasing an enormous jolt of electricity, striking Dragonite just as it was about to make contact. The collision of Thunderbolt and Giga Impact created a blinding flash of light, followed by an explosion that rang loud enough to send a chill up Skye's spine.

Ash shielded his face from the smoke that gusted his way. Lance stood firm, staring straight into the cloud with a heavy gaze.

Once the haze began to fade, two blackened silhouettes appeared from the smoke, and Lance's eyes slowly widened.

Dragonite lay fainted on the ground. Pikachu, however, shakenly remained standing.

" _ Dragonite is unable to battle! _ " the referee called, directing his hand towards Ash. " _ The victory goes to Elite Four member Ash Ketchum! _ "

The crowd immediately erupted into a roar, but Ash stood frozen on the field. It wasn't until Pikachu turned around to look for his trainer's approval that Ash bursted into the biggest grin Skye had ever seen on her father's face.

" _ Pikachu! We won! _ " Ash exclaimed, running to his exhausted Pokemon.

Pikachu was quick to gather every last bit of energy he had left in order to leap into his trainer's arms. " _ Pikapi! _ " he cried happily, nuzzling into Ash's chest.

" _ We did it, buddy! We really did it! We beat them! _ " he enthused, laughing and hugging his partner tightly.

" _ Unbelievable! You saw it here, everyone! _ " the commentator cried, his voice practically shaking with excitement. " _ Lance and his Dragonite have been defeated for the first time in almost two decades! Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town is the new Kanto Pokemon League Champion! _ "

But the voice of the commentator could barely be made out through the wild roars of the audience. The camera turned its focused on to Ash, who was still holding Pikachu close—tears of joy streaming down his face.

Skye felt her chest swell with pride as she watched her father's victory. She had seen it dozens of times before, but today was different. Her father had accomplished his dreams all of those years ago, and now it was finally time for her to start pursuing her own.

Clenching her fist, Skye smiled confidently. "I'm next!" she said, grabbing her gloves from off of her dresser and pulling them on. Watching her father's match against Lance was exactly what she needed to get her blood pumping. She began to run out of her room, grabbing her backpack from off of her desk chair and slinging it over her shoulder on the way out. She didn't bother to turn off the television.

"Champion League, here I com—!"

Skye stumbled forward as something caught her foot. Gasping and eyes widening in shock, she tripped down the stairs, landing face-first into the hardwood at the bottom with a loud ' _ thud _ '.

"Ow…" she winced, rubbing her head.

Misty rushed into the doorway as soon as she heard the crash. Her eyes widened upon seeing her daughter sprawled out on the ground.

"Skye! Are you okay?!" Misty asked worriedly.

Skye shook it off, letting out a light laugh as she stood back up slowly. "I'm fine, I'm fine," she assured, brushing herself off.

Her face lit up when she looked down to see what had caused her tumble. "Oh, hey! My soccer ball!" Skye said, sliding her backpack off of her shoulder and crouching down to pick up the ball. "I was wondering where that went," she murmured, struggling to push it into her bag.

Misty groaned, rubbing her face. Skye had always been accident-prone, and Misty couldn't help worrying.

"Jeeze! You need to be more careful, Skye!" Misty chastised, watching as Skye finally shoved the soccer ball snug into her bag. "And learn to start picking up your things!"

"Yeah, yeah!" Skye drawled, slinging her backpack over her shoulders and rising to her feet. "I'll be off, then!" she said suddenly as she began to run to do the door, causing Misty to recoil in surprise. "I'm going to the lab!"

"You're leaving now?" Misty asked, raising her eyebrows. "But Professor Oak isn't expecting you for another two hours! You can't just show up at his doorstep unannounced like that, you know!"

"How come?" Skye asked, putting her shoes on. "I go over to the lab unannounced all the time! Besides, it's not like he's  _ not _ expecting me!" She turned her head to look at Misty. "I've gotta get there before the other trainers do so I can meet all of the Pokemon!"

"And you'll get to meet all of the Pokemon when you show up  _ on time _ ," Misty assured. "You have to be patient, Skye. Why don't you sit down and have breakfast first?"

"But I've been patient for over ten years! I think that's long enough!" Skye protested, turning to open the door. "Anyways, I'm leavin—!" She paused, a tall figure blocking her exit.

"I'm home!" Ash announced as he stepped into the room, Pikachu sitting faithfully on his shoulder.

Skye took a step back, her eyes widening. "Dad! You're back early!"

Ash had set off to do some weekend training inside of Mt. Moon a few days prior. He wasn't expected to return home until later that day, so Skye hadn't planned on running into him on her way out the door.

Pikachu's face perked up when he noticed Skye. "Pipika!"

"Oh, Skye!" Ash cocked an eyebrow questioningly. "You're up early," he noted. Seeing Skye awake any time prior to 11 o'clock was nothing short of a rarity.

Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and onto Skye's, nuzzling against her cheek affectionately. "Cha!"

Skye glanced at Pikachu, gently scratching beneath his chin. "I wanted to get to the lab as soon as possible, that's all!"

"And I was trying to tell her that Gary isn't expecting her for another two hours, so the least she can do is have breakfast with us!" Misty interjected, standing behind Skye with a disapproving look.

Cringing, Skye turned around to face her mother. "Mom! I already told you! I don't have any time to waste on eating breakfast! You've gotta let me go!"

"Since you didn't sleep last night you definitely need to eat! You have to be running on  _ something _ ," Misty scolded.

"But—!"

"I agree with your Mom," Ash spoke up, looking down at his daughter. Pikachu returned to his spot on Ash's shoulder. "It would be nice if you ate breakfast with us before you go. The Pokemon will still be there when you finish," he offered, shrugging.

Skye scrunched her nose in annoyance. She didn't want to wait around, but if both of her parents were going to make her stay, then she wasn't left with much of a choice.

"Fine. I'll eat breakfast," Skye conceded, turning on her heel. "But I'm heading out  _ as soon _ as I finish!" she called, walking into the kitchen.

Misty shook her head, turning to Ash. "I thought you weren't going to be home for another hour. Did you finish up your training early?" she asked, brushing some stray dirt off of his face.

Ash scratched his nose, letting out a small laugh. "Yeah," he started, taking off his shoes. "Pikachu and I wanted to be back as soon as we could. I didn't wanna miss Skye leaving, ya know?"

"Well, it's a good thing that you came home when you did, then," Misty began playfully, reaching over and gently rubbing Pikachu's cheek. "She probably would have gone straight out the door if you hadn't—!" Suddenly, Misty's nose twitched as the faint scent of something burning lingered beneath it.

"Ah! The eggs!" She cried in alarm, turning away from Ash and rushing back into the kitchen.

Ash exchanged an amused glance with Pikachu before stepping into the kitchen himself, Skye already sitting at the table. She was impatiently drumming her fingers against the wooden surface, leaning on her fist with annoyance painted all over her face. Across from Skye sat her two, much younger siblings—both of whom beamed when seeing their father and his loyal companion entering the room.

"Daddy! Pikachu!" Calla exclaimed. "Welcome home!"

"You're back!" Reid enthused, rising out of his seat.

"Cha!" Pikachu squeaked delightfully. He jumped into Calla's lap, who let out a giggle and gently stroked his ears.

"Hey, kids!" Ash greeted, ruffling the twins' red hair. "Were you good over the weekend?"

" _ We _ were," Reid affirmed. "But Skye was  _ bad _ ," he added, closing his eyes.

Skye was drawn out of her pouting at the mention of her own name. Sitting up, she shot her younger brother a sharp glare. "I was  _ not _ !" she retorted.

Reid didn't back down. "Yes you were! You didn't sleep so Mommy yelled at you! And then you fell down the stairs 'cause you don't pick up your stuff!" he taunted, sticking his tongue out at her. "Slob."

Skye's temper flared as she rose from her seat. "You little—!"

"You didn't sleep last night?" Ash interrupted, turning his attention on Skye as he sat down.

Skye faltered and quickly became flustered. She glanced at Ash, plopping back down into her chair. "Well…" The last thing she wanted was a second scolding.

"She was up watching battles on TV all night," Misty interjected, setting plates of less-than-delectable looking eggs, bacon and toast in front of her family before sitting down herself.

Skye glowered at her mother, picking up her plate and piling food into her mouth. She wanted to get it down as fast as possible so that she could finally head out.

"Battles, huh?" Ash asked, leaning in towards Skye with a grin. "Did you watch any good ones?"

Skye blinked in surprise, lowering her plate. "Yeah." She cracked a smile. "I watched your last battle against Lance Grayson! Oh! And—!"

" _ Ash _ ," Misty said warningly.

"What? I'm just asking," Ash explained, picking up a piece of bacon. "Besides, I don't blame her for not being able to sleep! You've got so much adrenaline pumping through your body! I totally get that!" Skye's face brightened at her father's response.

"Oh? Funny," Misty added with a smirk, bringing her teacup to her lips. "I thought you slept in on your first day as a Pokemon Trainer."

Calla and Reid let out a small fit of giggles at that comment, and Misty looked towards them with an amused smile while she sipped her drink.

"Hey, hey. It worked out for me, didn't it?" Ash defended, glancing down at Pikachu nibbling on a piece of toast. "If I hadn't slept in that day, then Pikachu and I might not be buddies now—right, pal?"

Pikachu's ears perked up when his trainer mentioned his name, drawing his attention away from the toast between his paws. "Pikachu!" he agreed with a nod.

Calla lit up, a thought occurring to her, and she looked to her older sister. "Hey Skye, which Pokemon are  _ you _ picking?"

Reid's eyes shined at the topic. "Yeah! Yeah! Do you know which Pokemon yet!?" he asked eagerly.

Skye, who was in the middle of shoving an entire piece of toast into her mouth, stopped to look over at her siblings. She finished chewing and swallowed, exhaling. "Nah, not yet," she admitted, scratching her nose. "That's kinda why I wanted to get to the lab early—so that I could meet all of them for myself and then decide!"

This perked her brother's interest. "Oh! I know! Charmander's the best because fire Pokemon are  _ cool _ ! Pick that one!" he suggested.

Calla pouted at Reid's comment. "Nu-uh! Bulbasaur is so cute!" She leaned forward on the table towards Skye. "You have to pick that one, Skye! Then I can play with it!"

Skye let out a small, nervous laugh, glancing between her siblings. Before she could say anything, Misty chimed in with, "You know, Skye, water-type Pokemon are always guaranteed to be a great choice."

"Says the water-type Master of the Kanto Elite Four," Ash teased.

Misty looked at her husband agitatedly. Ash merely snickered under his breath and put another piece of bacon into his mouth.

Skye slumped slightly in her seat. "Thanks for the suggestions guys, but this isn't really helping, you know," she murmured, pushing around the eggs on her plate with a fork.

"Hey, don't worry about it too much," Ash said, placing his fork down. "I think that once you see the Pokemon for yourself you'll just… know!" He shrugged. "And besides, Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle are all great Pokemon—you can't go wrong with any of them."

"Yeah, I know," Skye sighed, smiling. "I can't wait to meet them!" She raised the rim of her glass to her mouth and took a sip of her drink. "And once I pick out my Pokemon, I can finally head off to Viridian City."

Misty watched as Skye worked on finishing her breakfast. "Man, ten years flew by so fast. It's hard to believe that you're heading off on your own today," she mused, glancing over at Ash. "It feels like yesterday that we started  _ our _ journeys. Has it really been 25 years already?"

"Yeah," Ash chuckled, turning his attention on to Pikachu, rubbing his head. "We've come a long way since then. Haven't we, buddy?"

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed happily. He then jumped onto the top of his trainer's head and began nuzzling his cheek affectionately into Ash's hair. "Cha!"

Ash tilted his head up, trying to glance at his small partner. "Hey! Cut it out, Pikachu!" He laughed, reaching to pet him. "That tickles!"

Skye beamed, watching Pikachu playfully keeping away from Ash's hands. Her father's partnership with Pikachu was one that Skye had admired since she was small. The two were always together, a deep bond connecting them that she couldn't quite grasp or fully understand.

But she knew one thing—she wanted a Pokemon who she could share that with, too.

Putting one last piece of bacon into her mouth, Skye jumped to her feet. "That's it! I'm done!" she declared hurriedly, throwing her backpack back on. "I'm going to the lab now!"

"What?" Misty started, taken aback. "But you didn't even finish your breakfast!"

"Sorry, Mom—I have no more time to waste!" Skye apologized with a grin. "I'll catch up with you guys later! Wish me luck!" she called, running out of the kitchen.

"Skylar!" Misty angrily called, rising out of her seat. "Get back—!" But as soon as she heard the door slam shut, Misty knew it was too late. Closing her eyes, she sighed in frustration. "Jeeze! Does she ever listen?"

"Let her go," Ash laughed lightly, looking out the window with a smile as he watched Skye run down the road. "I mean, a day like this only comes once in a lifetime, after all!"

* * *

Mornings in Pallet Town had always been quiet. The streets were empty, the sky clear. Skye made her way up the long staircase leading to the entrance of the Oak Laboratory, instantly ringing the bell upon reaching the front door.

While she waited for someone to answer, she turned around and looked out into the distance. Winter was over, and everything was blossoming with new life. The farmland that Pallet was made up of seemed to stretch on forever, the newly growing crops blowing gently in the spring breeze. Flocks of Pidgey chirped softly nearby, some ruffling their feathers in a small fountain.

The view from the top of the hill was one that Skye had always loved, and one that she knew she would miss when leaving home. Pallet Town was peaceful, and one of the few places in Kanto that wasn't filled with constant hustle and bustle. It would be hard to adjust to at first, but Skye knew the journey would be worth it.

And in the end, she would always have a home to return to.

Another minute passed, and she was starting to wonder if anyone had heard the doorbell ring. She pressed the button again. Still no answer. Raising an eyebrow, she decided to give the knob a shot. When she twisted it, she was surprised to find it was unlocked.

"Hello?" Skye called, peeking her head inside after she opened the door. "Professor Oak? It's Skye! You around?"

Nothing.

Skye scrunched her forehead in confusion, stepping into the lab. "…Anybody home?" she asked, making her way down the hall and into the back room.

Upon stepping inside, Skye's attention was drawn to three Poke Balls laid out on the table in front of her—and she had a pretty good idea of what was inside of them. She pursed her lips, glancing around the room once more.

"Professor…?"

Still nothing.

Her eyes darted back to the Poke Balls spread across the table. She was positive that Kanto's beginner trio were in there—and pretty soon, one of them would be hers. She kept shaking away the urge to go over there and open them for herself while she searched for the Professor. But the further she pushed the urge away, the harder it would come back to her.

Running a hand through her hair, Skye darted her eyes across the room once more before returning her gaze to the Poke Balls. The Professor wasn't here yet, but one of these Pokemon was going to belong to her soon anyways, right? There was no harm in taking a peek.

"They probably want some air," Skye reasoned with herself as she approached the table. She smiled and picked up all three in her hands. "Come out, guys!" she said excitedly, tossing them into the air.

Three blue lights flashed as Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle all appeared before her eyes.

Skye grinned from ear to ear. "Hey!" she greeted, crouching down a bit to get a better look at the confused Pokemon. "So, you're Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle, huh?" She put a hand to her chest. "My name is Skylar Ketchum—and one of you is gonna get to be my Pokemon!"

The three Pokemon exchanged curious expressions with one another, not sure what to make of the situation.

"But…" Skye started, scratching her head. "You're all so cool! I dunno how I'm supposed to pick just  _ one _ of you!"

She leaned in closer, examining them over carefully. She knew she had to make the right choice, so she was going to be sure to take the time and think it over. After a minute of observing them all, she eventually turned her focus onto Charmander. The small Lizard Pokemon tilted his head up at her, opening his mouth happily.

"You know, having a Charmander might be pretty cool," Skye mused, glancing at the burning flame on the tip of its tail. "That fire-power  _ is _ kinda awesome."

Charmander tilted its head, not understanding. "Char?"

Skye gently pet him on the head. "My dad's Charizard is really strong—and my friend Briar's first Pokemon was a Charmander," she explained. "Having one for myself would be—!" Suddenly, there was a loud crash of something breaking behind her.

Quickly spinning around, she saw Bulbasaur sniffing a broken potted plant on the ground. "Bulba…" he murmured contently, pressing his nose into the spilled soil.

Skye's face fell. "A-ah!" she managed, running towards the Plant Pokemon. "Bulbasaur! What are you doing?"

When she crouched down to see the mess, she winced. The dirt and shattered pot shards were all over the ground, and she could only imagine what the Professor would say when he inevitably showed up.

"Oh, man… The Professor isn't going to be happy about—!" She stopped when hearing another crash—this one coming from her left.

When she turned to face the sound, she saw Squirtle spinning inside of its shell on a nearby counter, knocking over test tubes and petri dishes that had been spread out in an orderly fashion just moments ago.

"W-wait!" Skye stammered, rushing over and stretching her arms out to catch any falling objects she could. She managed to save a few petri dishes from crashing to the ground, but that didn't last long when Charmander began to shoot small spurts of Ember at her feet.

Skye yelped and drew her feet away from the Ember. "Hey! What was that for!?" Skye asked angrily, turning her attention to him.

Charmander put his hands to his stomach, laughing at her as if it were some kind of game.

"It's not funny—!" Skye started, but she didn't have too much time to get mad when she heard another pot crash from behind her, Bulbasaur leaning over the new broken pot and sniffing the plant inside.

"Hey, wai—!"

While Skye was distracted, Charmander made a jump for the bookshelf, pulling books from out of it and dropping them to the ground.

Skye winced at the sight, rushing over to pick up some of the fallen books. "Stop that!" she ordered, attempting to put the books back onto the shelf. "You're making a mess! Professor Oak is gonna be—!"

"Professor Oak is gonna be what?"

Skye dropped the books she held in her hands as her body tensed.

After a moment of hesitation, she turned around. "Oh! Professor! Hey!" she greeted with a sheepish grin. "I was… just looking for you!" She laughed nervously, swallowing. "W-where did you come from?"

Gary appeared to be far less than amused by the situation in front of him. He internally cursed himself for not locking the front door that morning—he should have known something like this would happen.

Putting down the bag of Pokemon food he was carrying in his arms, he turned to Skye. "I was out back feeding the Pokemon." His eyes trailed towards the broken pots on the ground. "I came in through the side door after I heard a crash." Skye stiffened when he turned back to her. "Do you care to explain what happened here, Skye?"

"O-oh! That! Yeah, uhm…" Skye stumbled, trying to find a reasonable explanation for the mess. She pressed her fingers together nervously. "You see, I thought that maybe I could come a little early to get to know the Pokemon! But… when I came inside, nobody was here, so… I thought that maybe I'd let the Pokemon out myself!" She offered a grin before quickly adding, "You know, to save you the trouble and all."

That was explanation enough. Gary scowled, putting a hand to the side of his head. "Leave it to a  _ Ketchum _ to let something like this happen."

Skye gritted her teeth, scrunching her shoulders apologetically.

Gary walked past her and picked Charmander up from off of the shelf, placing him back onto the table. "And now I have to get this whole mess cleaned up before the other new trainers get here," he groaned, bending down to pick up Bulbasaur as well. After another moment of looking around the lab, he paused in realization.

"…Where's Squirtle?"

Skye straightened out. "Uh… It was here a minute ago," she murmured. Her eyes trailed down the hall to the front door, which she noticed was now fully open. Her face fell and she let out a gasp. "Oh no…!"

" _ Oh no _ ?" Gary repeated with an edge to his voice.

Skye tensed. "W-well… Uhm…" She coughed. "I  _ may _ have left the door cracked open when I came in, and it  _ may _ have gone outside, is all."

"Squirtle is  _ missing _ ?" Gary clarified angrily. Skye felt herself shrink into her shoulders, and Gary closed his eyes, sighing irritably as he ran a hand through his hair. "I don't have time for this," he started, "Those trainers are going to be here in almost an hour." He looked around at the mess. Just getting the dirt and glass swept up was going to take a while, and he wasn't going to risk leaving the lab with Skye and new trainers coming to visit.

Skye pursed her lips, feeling guilty. She looked to the ground and shifted her feet.

Gary turned his gaze towards her and watched her carefully until an idea struck him. He went over to the table, picking up Squirtle's Poke Ball before handing it to Skye. "You made this mess, so now you're going to clean it up."

Skye recoiled, blinking in surprise as she took Poke Ball in her hands. "Huh?" 

"I have to stay here to clean up this mess," he explained. "But you're going to go out there, find Squirtle, and bring it back." He pointed towards the open door at the front of the lab. "Understand?"

Skye stared down at the Poke Ball, a little shocked that the Professor would trust her with this task after the mess she had already made. She stayed silent briefly before looking up at Gary with a confident nod. If she caused this problem, then she was going to be the one to fix it.

"You've got it Professor!" she assured, giving a salute. "You can count on me!"

"Good," Gary spat, waving her off. "Now go and get him before the other trainers get here."

"I'm on it!" Skye said, turning on her heel and running out the door.

Once he heard the door shut, Gary removed his glasses, rubbing his face. The day had barely begun and he was already exhausted.

"Only your kid, Ash…" he groaned, glancing through his fingers at Charmander and Bulbasaur, who offered apologetic grins.

* * *

Skye exited the laboratory gates, sighing as she looked up and down the dirt road. Squirtle weren't exactly the fastest Pokemon in the world, so she knew that it couldn't have gotten far. Even still, it  _ did _ manage to get out the door and down the stairs in just a few minutes. Perhaps this would be trickier than she thought.

"Sheesh…. How could one little Pokemon move so fast?" Skye asked herself, scratching her head. She scanned the perimeter, looking for any sign of a trail. "If I were a Squirtle, where would I go?"

Skye continued glancing up and down the road until a stream of rippling water caught her eye. She stared for a moment before it clicked.

The river.

"That's it!" Skye declared, snapping her fingers as she began to follow the water downstream. With Squirtle being a water-type Pokemon, Skye had the lurking suspicion that he may have been attracted to the river. If she just kept following it then she might be able to find him.

"Squirtle!" she called, her hands cupped to her mouth.

Further down the path, Squirtle sat near the water's edge as he contently peered at his reflection. Upon hearing his name being called, Squirtle raised his head curiously in the direction of the voice.

Skye spotted the Turtle Pokemon crouched down at the edge of the water, just as she expected. Putting a hand to her chest, she let out a long breath before running over to him. "Squirtle!" she called. "There you are!"

"Squir!" Squirtle said, rising to his feet.

Skye smiled, relieved. "C'mon. Let's get you back to the lab," she said, pulling out the Poke Ball from her pocket. She pressed the button in the center, enlarging it and attempted to return him.

Upon seeing the red beam heading his way, Squirtle's face lit up and he quickly dodged it.

Skye raised her eyebrows as Squirtle jumped away from the beam before letting out a small laugh. "Funny. Now, come on—get in the ball," she said, attempting to return him once more.

Much to Skye's annoyance, Squirtle jumped away from the red light, this time letting out a laugh and balancing himself on his tail.

Skye only became more and more flustered the longer she spent trying to return him, her temper beginning to flare. "I'm serious! We have to get back to the lab! Professor Oak is expecting us before the other trainers show up!"

Squirtle still refused to listen, jumping away from the light and spinning inside of his shell. He smirked at her when he popped his head out, and Skye was getting the feeling that now he was just showing off.

She scowled, her face heating up. "Okay, fine! If you're not gonna get in that way, then there's only one thing left to do!" she said, drawing her hand back before tossing the Poke Ball at him.

As soon as he saw the Poke Ball heading his way, Squirtle was quick to duck, narrowly avoiding contact. However, his ducking caused the Poke Ball to fly right over his head and plop into the river. Squirtle quickly turned in the direction of the ball, realizing what he had done. "Squirt!"

Skye's face fell, and she instantly felt her gut sink as she watched the Poke Ball begin to float away. "A-ah!" she choked, quickly making her way to the water's edge. "Crap! It fell in!"

Squirtle rushed to Skye's side, looking into the water as well to see if he could spot the lost Poke Ball. Skye gritted her teeth. "It's probably headed downstream!" she started, rising to her feet and beginning to run along the edge of the river. "I've gotta find it!"

Before she could get too far, she heard a splash from behind her. Quickly turning around, she saw Squirtle begin to swiftly swim downstream. Skye gasped, her eyes widening. It was bad enough that the Poke Ball was headed down the river, but now the _ Pokemon _ was too.

"Hey! Squirtle! What are you doing!?" she called to him in alarm as she attempted to run after him.

Squirtle came to a halt, poking his head out of the water. "Squirtle! Squirt! Squirtle!" he explained, furrowing his brows together and pointing downstream.

Skye reeled back. "You… you want to help?" she asked slowly.

"Squirtle!" he affirmed with a nod.

She didn't break eye contact with him for a moment. If she managed to lose Squirtle again then she was positive that the Professor would have her head. But at the same time, she knew that she might have better luck with a water-type Pokemon on her side. There wasn't any time left to hesitate.

"Okay!" she said with a nod. "You can move faster by water than by land, so keep a lookout from down there!" She began to jog backwards. "I'm gonna check along the edge of the river!" And, with that, she turned around, running down the path.

With a confident nod of assurance, Squirtle dove under the water and began to swim downstream, keeping his eyes peeled.

Skye continued to run, watching the water carefully so she wouldn't miss anything. For a while, the only things that caught her eye were some stray Rattata and Pidgey taking a drink from the stream—but no Poke Ball. She was starting to feel hopeless, her pace slowing down before a glint of light caught her eye. Turning her head, her eyes widened. A small red sphere bobbed along with the current near the water's edge.

"Squirtle!" she called to the Turtle Pokemon, who popped his head out of the water to listen to her. "Right there in front of you! Grab that Poke Ball!"

Squirtle's eyes followed to where Skye's finger was pointing. His face lit up and he quickly darted towards it, about to grab it before it was suddenly lifted from the water. Shocked, Squirtle looked up and was met with the face of a very large Nidorino holding the Poke Ball in its mouth.

Skye skidded to a stop as soon as she saw the Nidorino dip his head into the water and pick up the Poke Ball with ease. "U-uh…!" she managed to stammer, unsure of what to do now as the Nidorino began to casually walk away—Poke Ball and all.

After taking a moment to get over the initial shock, Squirtle scowled and sprung out of the water in front of Skye. "Squirt! Squirtle!" he angrily called to the Nidorino, who merely ignored him and kept going on his way.

Pursing her lips nervously, Skye watched Nidorino walk further away. She didn't know how to approach the situation. She knew that she couldn't go back to the lab without Squirtle's Poke Ball, but she couldn't just run over and grab it from Nidorino either. After all, that was one big Nidorino in comparison to others she had seen before. But she couldn't back down now.

She exhaled.

"Don't worry!" Skye said to Squirtle, offering him a smile and thumbing to herself. "I've got a way with Pokemon. I'll get that Poke Ball back, no problem!" she explained before jogging after Nidorino.

Squirtle watched Skye run off. "Squirtle?" he said curiously before waddling after her.

"Hey! Nidorino!" Skye called, catching up to the Pokemon.

Finally stopping, Nidorino let out an annoyed grunt as he gazed back at Skye, clenching down harder on the Poke Ball positioned between his teeth.

Skye came to a stop, bending over a bit to catch her breath. She lifted a finger to point at the Poke Ball. "That thing you've got in your mouth there—it's not food," she started, standing up straight and thumbing towards the Squirtle standing behind her. "It's this Squirtle's Poke Ball!" She held out her hand to him. "So, is it all right if we have it back?"

Squirtle nodded firmly in agreement as Nidorino glanced between the two, confused. Skye grinned hopefully as Nidorino seemed to be processing what she said. But after a few moments, he huffed and turned his back to them, walking into a small cavern nearby.

"U-uh…" Skye stammered, faltering. That certainly didn't go as planned. She pursed her lips, thinking. "I guess this is going to be more difficult than I thought…"

Squirtle, on the other hand, curled his fists and growled. Ignoring Skye, he marched straight over to Nidorino's cavern.

Skye paused when seeing Squirtle walk into Nidorino's home. "Squirtle! Hey! Wait!" she called after him, but stopped upon reaching the cave's entrance. The thought occurred to her that perhaps if she wasn't able to talk things out with Nidorino, then maybe a Pokemon giving it a shot would work out better. With that in mind, Skye decided to wait outside and see what the outcome would be.

Nidorino was carefully placing his newfound treasure into his nest when Squirtle came marching in through the entrance of his cavern. His eyes darted warningly toward the Turtle Pokemon, but Squirtle didn't back down.

"Squirtle! Squirt! Squir!" Squirtle cried angrily, pointing to the Poke Ball in Nidorino's nest.

Nidorino's gaze shifted between Squirtle and the Poke Ball a few times, as if he were thinking it over. Eventually, he grunted in annoyance and kicked up some dirt into Squirtle's eyes.

"Squirt!" Squirtle recoiled when the dirt hit him. He winced in pain as he attempted to wipe it away with his hands. Once he was able to open his eyes again, he growled and fired a Water Gun attack directly in Nidorino's face.

When the water made contact, Nidorino skidded back, shutting his eyes tightly and gritting his teeth. As soon as the attack was over, it growled, its temper kicking in. Scuffing its foot against the ground, Nidorino charged head-first into Squirtle with a Take Down attack.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried as he was sent flying out of the cavern's entrance and landed on the ground with a ' _ thud _ '.

Eyes widening in shock upon seeing Squirtle fly out of the cave, Skye gasped. "Squirtle!" she called, running over in an attempt to help him.

Skye was cut off as Nidorino charged straight past her and rammed into Squirtle while he was in the middle of attempting to rise to his feet, this time with a Horn Attack.

Squirtle let out a cry in pain, landing on the back of his shell. He struggled to roll over and stand, but he was stuck.

Skye caught her breath upon seeing Squirtle being struck again. She had to do something before Nidorino made his next move. Anger bubbling inside of her, she clenched her fists before bending down and picking up a rock.

"Hey!" Skye called, chucking the rock with all of her might, striking Nidorino on the side of the head.

Nidorino stopped dead in his tracks, flinching and wincing in pain before angrily turning to the source of the rock.

Skye stood firm, glaring at Nidorino. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

This only fueled Nidorino's raging temper. Growling and scuffing his foot into the ground, he began to charge towards Skye with another Take Down attack.

As soon as Nidorino made his move, Skye furrowed her brow as she turned on her heel and started to sprint in another direction. She hadn't completely thought this through, but she knew that she needed to give Squirtle a chance to get away. She glanced back at the Nidorino, who was quickly gaining on her—but when she focused forward again, her eyes were met with a large ditch only a few feet in front of her.

She gasped, skidding to a stop. She had to think. She didn't have any time to run around, but if she didn't do something quick, Nidorino would charge right into her. Taking a deep breath in, she swiftly turned around. Nidorino was running straight for her, lowering his head for a Horn Attack. Skye knew that if that poisonous horn pierced her, then it could be a result far worse than just a scratch.

She stood firm, and once Nidorino was close enough, she quickly grabbed him by the base of his horn, pressing the palm of her other hand firmly against his snout. If she could hold him off this way, then at least his horn would be less likely to stab into her. But Nidorino didn't give in, and he continued to push forward, scowling in anger.

Skye gritted her teeth, closing an eye as she struggled to push Nidorino back. Her feet skidded back against the ground, dangerously close to the edge of the ditch behind her. "What's wrong?" she huffed tauntingly. "Is that all you've got?"

Grunting in anger at her taunt, Nidorino pushed harder, and Skye nearly lost her footing. Before Nidorino could give Skye one final push, a Water Gun attack suddenly blasted him in the side. Nidorino stumbled, causing Skye to let go in surprise. When she turned her head to see the source of the Water Gun, Squirtle quickly jumped in front of her, glaring dangerously at Nidorino.

"Squirtle!" Skye said breathlessly, regaining her balance. "Thanks for that!"

Squirtle shot Skye a confident smile and nod. "Squirtle, squir!"

Nidorino slowly rose to his feet. He had had enough of this. While the two were distracted, he turned around and delivered a swift Double Kick attack—first Skye, and then Squirtle, knocking them both into the ditch.

Skye inhaled sharply, the wind getting knocked out of her as she stumbled and fell in. Squirtle was soon to follow, landing beside her.

Nidorino glared down at them from the top of the ditch before snorting and turning away, returning to his nest.

Giving herself a moment to catch her breath and process what just happened, Skye groaned in pain as she rolled onto her side and slowly sat up. "Man, that hurt…" she winced, rubbing her back, before turning her attention onto Squirtle. "You okay?"

Much quicker to jump back to his feet than Skye was, Squirtle nodded. "Squirtle!"

Skye offered him a small smile before sighing and slowly standing. "I guess that didn't work…" She sighed irritably. "How does a ditch show up in a place like this anyways?"

Then again, she thought that she had remembered the Professor saying something about a herd of migrating Sandshrew and Sandslash passing through Pallet Town a few weeks ago—but that didn't matter now. "Whatever," she dismissed. "Let's just get outta here."

Squirtle hung his head apologetically. "Squir…" he murmured. He knew that if he hadn't gone into the cave and made Nidorino angry in the first place, then perhaps they wouldn't have been stuck in this situation.

Noticing Squirtle's change in demeanor, Skye blinked. Offering him a smile, Skye bent down and picked him up. "Hey, don't worry about it. Everybody messes up sometimes," she assured, lifting him up so that he could crawl out. "We'll get this figured out."

Squirtle glanced back at her in surprise as he scuffled his way out of the hole, watching as Skye grabbed onto some rocks poking out of the side of the ditch walls and climbing out with ease. Once she reached the top, she brushed the dirt off of herself and sighed, looking towards Nidorino's cave.

"So, what now…?" she questioned, sitting on the ground. Squirtle sat beside her, looking at her curiously.

Skye leaned back, pressing her palms to the ground. "That Nidorino isn't going to give up that Poke Ball without a fight…. But neither one of us are really cut-out to take it on directly," she mused, glancing towards the ditch Nidorino had knocked them into minutes earlier.

"Squirtle…" Squirtle agreed, hanging his head.

Skye turned her attention back to the cave where Nidorino nested. "And it's definitely too dangerous for one of us to go back into that cave, too…" She didn't say anything for a moment, letting some thoughts run through her mind. But every idea that she came up with only seemed like it would flump.

She sighed, shrugging off her backpack and opening it to pull out a bottle of water. She hadn't realized how thirsty all of this running around had made her. Unscrewing the cap, she said, "Maybe we should go back to the lab and tell the Professor…"

As she put the bottle to her lips, she imagined what he would say to her. She was positive that she'd just be met with another scolding to top off the others she had already received from Misty earlier that day, and that was the last thing she wanted. She scowled, shaking the thought away.

She had to get that Poke Ball back herself.

Putting her water down, she ruffled her hair, letting out a noise in frustration. "No, no! We're gonna get it back!" She pounded her fist into her palm. "We just need a game-plan!"

Squirtle, who wasn't fully listening to Skye, started to curiously rummage through her open bag. He reached inside and pulled out the soccer ball that she had shoved inside of it that morning, studying it curiously.

When she heard the sound of Squirtle going through her things, Skye looked down. "Hey, what are you—!" She paused when seeing the soccer ball in Squirtle hands. Forgetting about the Poke Ball for a moment, Skye raised an eyebrow, letting out a small laugh. "Oh, are you a fan, too?"

Taking his attention away from the ball that he held in his hands, Squirtle looked up at Skye, confused. "Squirt?" he said, tilting his head.

Skye huffed, smiling as she leaned forward as she rested her elbows on her knees. "Guess not," she laughed lightly. She turned her body to him and pressed a finger against the ball. "This ball is used in a sport called soccer—I've been playing it since I was little."

Squirtle still didn't seem to understand, titling his head in the other direction.

Skye continued, "The really basic idea is that you have to kick this ball between your teammates, and if you can get the ball into the other team's net, then you get a point." She shrugged. "And the team with the most points at the end of the game wins." It was a basic explanation that just barely grazed the details and rules of the sport, but she knew that explaining every little thing to a Pokemon wouldn't matter much.

Continuing to study the ball as Skye spoke, Squirtle eventually placed it on the ground. He took a step back and lightly kicked it forward, looking at Skye for approval with a smile on his face. "Squirtle!"

Skye blinked. She hadn't expected Squirtle to understand what she was talking about, but clearly he got some kind of gist of it. Skye laughed, rising to her feet. "Yeah, you've got it!" she praised, walking over to the soccer ball. "Hey, maybe you'd make a pretty good athle—!"

She paused, realization struck her as she picked up the ball before it could roll into the ditch. Her eyes darted from the ball, to the cave, to Squirtle, and finally, the hole. Perking up, she turned to Squirtle with a grin.

"You know what? You just gave me an idea."

* * *

Quietly approaching Nidorino's cavern, Skye leaned over to peer inside carefully. Nidorino was curled up in his nest, asleep, the Poke Ball nestled between his paws. Skye grinned and stepped back, placing her soccer ball on to the ground. She gave Nidorino one last look before drawing her foot back and kicking the ball forcefully.

Nidorino awoke with a start when the soccer ball struck him hard in the side. He lifted his head in alarm and looked around for the source of the impact, noticing the ball rolling towards the cave's entrance—and standing right behind it was Skye.

"Morning," Skye greeted with a wave. "Looking for  _ me _ ?"

Upon seeing Skye, Nidorino quickly rose to his feet, snorting and scuffing his foot against the ground warningly.

"Come and get me, then!" Skye challenged before turning around and running away.

Letting out an angry cry, Nidorino began charging after her with a Take Down attack, abandoning his nest.

Skye glanced over her shoulder to make sure that Nidorino was chasing her. When she saw him running in her direction she huffed and smirked, satisfied. She looked forward and continued her sprint, picking up speed to gain some space between herself and the Nidorino.

She made her way around the ditch, and surely enough, Nidorino followed after her. She grinned once running past the side of the hole, turning on her heel to face the oncoming Pokemon. Just another few seconds and….  _ There _ !

Skye snapped her head towards the bushes to her left. " _ Now _ , Squirtle!" she called loudly.

Just then, Squirtle jumped out of the bushes, taking a deep breath before firing a powerful Water Gun attack at the unsuspecting Nidorino.

As soon as Nidorino heard Squirtle jump out of the bushes, he quickly turned his head to the source of the sound. But it was too late. Squirtle had already hit him directly in the side, knocking him off balance and sending him tumbling to the bottom of the ditch.

The moment that Nidorino was down in the hole, Skye broke into a grin and threw her hands into the air. " _ Goal _ !" she exclaimed, running over to the edge.

Squirtle's face lit up when he saw Skye throw her hands into the air. "Squirtle!" he cried happily, running over to join her.

After taking a moment to process what happened, Nidorino blinked lazily, fully coming to. He quickly shook his head before jumping to his feet. Looking up at Skye and Squirtle, he let out an angry cry, ramming his body into the wall of the ditch.

"Looks like I've already caught myself a Pokemon!" Skye taunted, sticking her tongue out at the raging Nidorino. "Nyeh!"

Mimicking Skye, Squirtle stuck out his tongue as well and pulled down on his eyelid. "Squir!"

Nidorino took no notice of their taunts and continued ramming against the ditch's walls.

Skye stood up straight, laughing as she brushed her hands off. "That's what you get for messing with Skylar Ketchum—future Pokemon Master!" she said with a confident smile, closing her eyes proudly.

Squirtle jumped up, balancing himself on his tail and happily clapping his hands together. "Squirt! Squirtle!" he cheered.

Turning her attention onto Squirtle, Skye let out a laugh and pet him on top of the head. "You did a good job, too," she praised. "Come on—let's get your Poke Ball back now!" Nodding towards Nidorino's cave, she began heading in its direction.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle agreed, trailing behind.

Once she got to the entrance, Skye took a knee, picking up the soccer ball that had rolled outside. "Can't forget this," she said to herself, shrugging off her backpack and opening it so that she could shove the ball back inside.

While Skye was distracted, Squirtle walked past her and entered the cave. He made his way to Nidorino's nest and picked up the Poke Ball triumphantly, returning back to Skye and holding it out to her. "Squirt!" he said, getting her attention.

Skye blinked, looking in Squirtle's direction. She smiled when seeing the Poke Ball in his hands. "Oh, thanks!" she said, taking it from him and rising to her feet. "Now we can get you back to the lab!"

She held out the Poke Ball in order to finally return him, but something made her stop. She stared at him and parted her mouth slightly, as if she were thinking. Squirtle was staring up at her, smiling brightly. Noticing her hesitation, he blinked and tilted his head in confusion.

"Squirtle?" he questioned.

After another moment, Skye lowered her hand and smiled. "You know, you're a really cool Pokemon," she started before nodding to the ditch behind them. "I wouldn't have been able to get this Poke Ball back without your help. I think you and I make a pretty good team!"

Squirtle didn't quite understand, tilting his head to the other side.

Skye huffed, smiling as she thumbed to herself. "Squirtle, what do you think about coming along with me on my Pokemon journey?"

Squirtle reeled back, surprised. "Squirt?!"

"If you come with me, then you and I can keep working as a team," she continued, clenching her fist. "We could travel the world, win battles, and even compete in the Pokemon League!" Her eyes were shining with excitement. "I know that you and I could do it together, and have lots of fun, too!" She grinned, holding out a hand to him. "So, what do you say? Teammates?"

Squirtle stared at her without saying a word for a few moments, processing what she had said. His face lit up and he suddenly leapt into her arms, hugging her. "Squirtle! Squirt! Squirtle!" he happily agreed.

Stumbling backwards, Skye let out a laugh and held him close. "I'll take that as a yes, then!" she said, looking at the Turtle Pokemon who offered her an approving nod.

But only a moment later, the pair heard a loud grunt coming from a distance behind them. Blinking and turning around, Skye's eyes were met with those of a dirty Nidorino a few yards away. How he had managed to make his way out of the ditch, Skye had no idea, but she knew one thing for sure: she and Squirtle had to book it out of there.

Skye gasped and Squirtle's face fell as soon as Nidorino began charging towards them. "U-uh…!" Skye stammered, looking left and right to find an escape. "Let's talk about the rest later! We have to make a run for it and get back to the lab pronto!"

Squirtle quickly nodded his head in agreement and Skye started to sprint as fast as she could down the dirt road—Nidorino in tow.

* * *

The roof of Professor Oak's laboratory was finally in view as Skye continued to run down the road, Squirtle still in her arms. She slowed down her pace, panting while turning her head to look over her shoulder.

"I-I think we lost him…" Skye said, sighing in relief.

Squirtle relaxed, wiping his forehead as Skye carefully placed him back on the ground. Laughing, she looked at the Poke Ball that she still had grasped in her hand. "I guess we got pretty lucky with our timing, huh?"

Squirtle nodded his head in agreement. "Squirtle! Squirt!"

Skye smiled at him. "So—!"

" _ Skylar _ !"

Lifting her head to look at the source of the call, Skye was surprised to see Misty standing in front of the gates of the Oak laboratory.

"M-mom!" she said in surprise before noticing that her father, siblings, grandmother, Pikachu and the Professor were all there as well. She exchanged a quick glance with Squirtle before jogging over to them, Squirtle following behind. "What are you all doing here?"

Ash offered Skye a small wave and Pikachu let out a happy squeak, while Misty stood with her hands placed firmly on her hips. "Professor Oak called the house and told us that you made a mess of his lab and lost one of the Pokemon!" she scowled. "What were you thinking?"

Skye winced, cringing at the reminder of the mess she had made inside the lab earlier that morning. She attempted to offer Misty a small, nervous smile as her shoulders stiffened.

"You don't get it! It's okay! It all worked out and I—!"

"I hope that you apologized to Professor Oak!" Misty snapped, pointing a finger towards Gary, who merely raised an eyebrow in response.

"U-uh…!" Skye faltered, realizing that she hadn't, in fact, offered the Professor a properly apology. She quickly bowed her head, frowning.

"I'm really sorry, Professor. I didn't mean to mess up your lab or let Squirtle get out."

Gary didn't say anything for a moment, staring at Skye as if he were pondering what he should say. He noticed Reid snicker at his sister getting into trouble, and Skye shot him a glare as Calla lightly pushed him in response. Gary simply closed his eyes and sighed, waving her off.

"Well, everything turned out okay in the end—the lab is clean and Squirtle is back, so there's nothing to worry about," he dismissed, causing Skye to let out a relieved sigh. He then glanced at Ash warily and added, "Though, a generous donation from the League to compensate for the damaged materials would be more than welcome."

Ash laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah…. We'll take care of that. Don't worry." Pikachu tapped Ash on the shoulder reassuringly.

Misty didn't take her eyes off of Skye. After looking her up and down several times, she noticed the layer of dirt that her daughter was covered in from head to toe. She sighed, rubbing her face. "Jeeze, Skye. You haven't even left yet and you're already filthy. What happened?"

Skye faltered. She knew that she couldn't tell them about the lost Poke Ball, the Nidorino, and the ditch. Matters were already bad enough, so she wanted to save herself at least a little trouble. Letting out a small laugh, she scratched her nose. "Oh, it's, uh… kind of a long story," she said, glancing down at Squirtle with a smile. "It's fine though! We made it out okay!"

Putting a hand to her mouth, Delia let out a small laugh before walking over to Skye and pulling a handkerchief from her pocket. "Now, that reminds me of  _ another _ certain Pokemon Trainer I know," she said thoughtfully, gently wiping some of the dirt away from Skye's face with the cloth. "I swear, you're just like your father when he was your age—always getting into some kind of trouble."

Skye closed an eye, laughing while Ash cracked a small smile.

"C'mon, Mom. Why don't we just focus on letting Skye pick out her first Pokemon?" he suggested, thumbing to the lab behind them.

Gary closed his eyes, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "I couldn't agree more." At this point, he was more than ready to just send Skye Ketchum on her way to prevent any further damage. "Why don't you all come insid—!"

"I've already made my choice!" Skye spoke up suddenly.

Ash and Misty exchanged surprised glances, and Delia blinked, pulling the cloth away from Skye's face slowly. Pikachu, Calla and Reid all appeared absolutely delighted at the news.

Gary turned around. "…Excuse me?"

"I've already made my choice," Skye repeated. She looked down at Squirtle with a smile, who stared back up at her. "I choose Squirtle!"

"Squirtle?" Gary asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Skye affirmed with a nod. "We already talked about it, and we decided that we actually make a pretty good team!" She looked back to Squirtle, beaming. "I don't need to see the other Pokemon again. My mind is already made up!"

Gary shifted his gaze between Skye and Squirtle before he smiled with a shrug. "Well, that certainly makes my job a little easier," he admitted, standing up straighter. "Somehow, I have the feeling that you and that Squirtle will get along well together."

"I know we will!" Skye grinned at Squirtle, who bounced up onto his tail happily. "We already do!"

"I think Squirtle is a great choice, Skye," Ash commented, crossing his arms. "They're awesome Pokemon to raise."

"I certainly can't disagree," Misty added, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Water-type Pokemon are always the right choice."

Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and onto the ground, scurrying over to Squirtle and holding up a paw. "PikaPika!" he greeted, to which Squirtle happily returned the gesture, and the two began carrying out a small conversation in Pokespeak.

Calla crouched down, smiling as she watched the two Pokemon converse with one another. "Squirtle is so cute, Skye!" she said, reaching out a hand to gently pet Squirtle atop the head. "You picked the best one!" She had clearly forgotten all about the Bulbasaur that she had mentioned earlier now that Squirtle was in her presence.

Reid knelt down beside his sister, looking Squirtle over skeptically. "It's not a Charmander," he started before a smile slowly made its way onto his face. "But it is pretty cool!"

He suddenly shot his head up to look at Skye, grinning. "Hey, are you and Squirtle gonna win the Pokemon League Tournament together?" he asked eagerly. Calla's attention was taken away from Squirtle and directed onto Skye with her brother's comment, a bright smile plastered on her face.

Skye raised her eyebrows before grinning and pounding her fist against her chest. "Yeah, of course we are!" she assured proudly. "You can't expect anything less out of the daughter of a Champion!"

Calla's smile slowly faded as realization dawned upon her. "Then this means you're really leaving, right?" she asked sadly. Reid didn't say anything, but Calla's words seemed to make him realize the same thing as well, and he averted his eyes to the ground.

Skye raised her eyebrows in surprise, quickly darting her gaze between her younger brother and sister. She sighed, offering them a smile as she crouched down to their level.

"Hey, don't be sad," she comforted with a shrug. "We'll still get to talk—I'll call home all the time." She looked between them both, noticing their expressions beginning to lift, even if just a little. "And you guys will come and watch Squirtle and I compete in the Pokemon League, won't you?"

The two younger siblings exchanged glances with one another before smiling and turning their attention back on Skye. Reid rose to his feet, grinning and punching his fist forward.

"Yeah!"

"We wanna see you win!" Calla added, jumping up to join her brother.

"And you will!" Skye said confidently, rising back to her feet and curling her fists. "This time next year, I'll be the Kanto Pokemon League Tournament winner!"

"Squirtle!" Squirtle agreed, punching his fist into the air.

Gary shared an amused look with Ash and Misty before reaching into the messenger bag he had slung around his shoulder. "Skye, here," he started, retrieving a red Pokedex and several Poke Balls from the inside, holding them out to her. "These are your Poke Balls and your Pokedex."

Skye blinked, taking them into her hands and looking down at them as Gary continued. "Your Pokedex is a digital encyclopedia that stores the information of all of the Pokemon that you'll encounter during your travels. But it's also your identification—so don't lose it." He was sure to put a special emphasis on those last few words.

After staring down at her new possessions for a moment longer, Skye flashed Gary a grin. "Thanks, Professor," she said, slipping the Poke Balls into the side-pocket of her backpack and holding up the Pokedex in her hand, giving it a small wave. "I'll be sure to hang on to it."

Gary sighed, shaking his head as Skye slid her Pokedex into her back pocket. He was sure that he'd get a call about a cracked screen in a week or two.

Delia pressed a finger to her eye as she watched Skye accept her new Pokedex, wiping away a single tear. "Oh, Skylar," she started, her voice wavering slightly. "You've grown up so fast. I can't believe that you're really leaving home and going off on your journey."

Misty glanced at her mother-in-law, smiling with just a twinge of sadness before turning her attention onto Skye. "Are you sure you have everything that you need?" she asked worriedly. "Food? Water? Soap? Clean—!"

Skye stopped Misty there, waving her hands around quickly. "Mom, I'm fine! I have everything, I promise." She offered Misty a small smile, shrugging her shoulders with a laugh. "You only made me check five times last night, after all."

Misty pursed her lips, unconvinced. She was sure that she'd find something that Skye forgot laying around the house over the course of the next few days. "Well, okay," Misty sighed, crossing her arms. "But, if you realize that you're missing anything, just let me know and I'll have it sent to you."

"I will, I will!" Skye assured. "But, I promise, I have everything! Really!"

"Not quite," Ash spoke up suddenly.

Skye turned to him, raising her brows in surprise. "Huh?"

Ash slid his hand into his jacket pocket before pulling out a slim, rectangular, blue case.

"Here—this is a case for you to keep your gym badges in," he explained, placing it in her hands. "That way, you can keep all of them together, you know? Every good Pokemon Trainer should have one of these!"

She hadn't been expecting this. Thinking to get something like a badge case was one of the things that had completely slipped Skye's mind while preparing for her journey. Her face lit up upon taking the case into her hands. "Thanks, Dad!" she said with a grin, admiring it. "It's gonna be filled with badges before you know it!

"That's what I like to hear!" Ash said, furrowing his brows, his eyes shining with pride. "Make Pallet Town proud, Skye—get to the Pokemon League Tournament and take it all."

Misty stepped beside Ash, smiling at her daughter confidently. "And once you do, all of us will be there to cheer you on—you and Squirtle both," she added.

Reid grinned, clenching his fists. "You can make it, Skye!"

"Do your best!" Calla encouraged, smiling brightly.

"But try not to push yourself  _ too _ hard, dear," Delia added with a smile, wiping away another stray tear. "Remember that resting and eating healthy is important, too. So, take care of yourself."

Gray held up a hand, offering a smile. "And you can call the lab if you need anything. I'm always around."

"Pipika! Pi-ka Pika!" Pikachu cried happily from Ash's shoulder, lifting his paw.

Hearing her family's words of encouragement made the fire burning inside of Skye grow stronger. This was finally it—she was ready to go. Gripping the straps of her backpack tightly, Skye looked down to Squirtle with a nod before turning to her family, brimming with confidence.

"You can count on it! Squirtle and I will win it all, you'll see!"

"Then what are you waiting for?" Ash asked with a smile. "Go get 'em, Skye. All of Pallet Town is cheering you on."

She stood there for a moment, quiet. Her father was right. Everyone was cheering her on—her family, her friends, everyone. She couldn't let them down. The time had come for her to start chasing her dreams full throttle without giving up.

She took a deep breath, beaming. "…Right!" She nodded and grinned at the Turtle Pokemon standing by her side. "Let's do it, Squirtle!" she said eagerly, turning on her heel and making a dash down the road, Squirtle lighting up and trailing behind.

She turned her head back to her family as she ran. "I won't let you down!" she called, waving a hand. "Wish me luck!"

"A-ah, Skye! Wait!" Misty called after her, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Call us once you reach Viridian City so we know you made it all right!"

Whatever Skye said next could only barely be heard by Misty and the others as they watched her run further down the road.

And suddenly she was completely out of sight, disappearing into the horizon

There was a long silence that followed Skye's departure, with the exception of a few sniffles from Delia as she wiped her eyes with the handkerchief she held in her hand. Calla frowned, gently gripping the bottom of Misty's jacket as Reid looked down to the ground. Nobody knew what to say. For the first time, Ash understood how his mother felt every time he left Pallet Town as a boy.

"Well, she's gone…." Misty said quietly after Skye's departure had sunk in a little more.

"…Yeah," Ash said, closing his eyes, a small smile on his face.

Gary chuckled, sliding his hands into his pockets as a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Getting a little teary-eyed?" he teased.

Misty twitched in annoyance before glowering at him. " _ No _ ," she scowled.

"Oh, come on," Gary laughed with the wave of a hand. "It's okay to cry. You know, even Leaf and I got a little emotional when our boy left home for the first time." He snickered, adjusting his glasses. "I mean, we didn't cry, but that doesn't mean  _ you _ can't."

Misty sighed in annoyance, pressing a finger to her temple. "I'm not going to cry, Gary," she said shortly. After a pause, she returned her gaze to the path that Skye had run down minutes earlier and she her heart sank just a little. "…It does feel a little sad knowing she's gone, though."

Ash chuckled. "Funny. I was just thinking the same thing," he said, gently ruffling Reid's hair, who looked up at him questioningly.

"It's always sad to see your child go," Delia spoke up, getting the attention of Ash, Misty, and Gary. She paused briefly before looking to her son, smiling softly. "But it's always important to let them chase after their dreams."

Ash and Misty exchanged glances and smiled before looking out to where Skye had left.

Delia closed her eyes before turning to Ash and Misty with a light laugh, putting a hand to her mouth. "Besides, I know that Skylar will be just fine—she has two wonderful parents that she takes after so much," she assured.

Ash and Misty raised their eyebrows in surprise. They both turned their heads to each other and stared for a moment, remembering all they had been through and how far they had come.

The two laughed lightly. "You're right, Mom," Ash agreed, shaking the thought away and looking at Misty with a faint smile. "She'll be all right."

Misty smiled and rubbed Ash's arm. Pikachu gently nuzzled himself against his trainer's cheek and Ash smiled at him. He knew that with Squirtle at her side, Skye would be able to accomplish anything. He looked down the dirt road one more time—the same one he walked down with Pikachu as he left Pallet Town for the first time 25 years earlier. He couldn't help but smile, his chest swelling with pride.

"Good luck, Skye."

* * *

**_April 1st, 2034. Nightfall. Route 1, Kanto._ **

Skye didn't know exactly where she went wrong. The map must have been wrong. Nothing looked familiar, and with the darkness of the night swallowing the trees, Skye was beginning to feel hopeless.

"We've been off the trail for hours," Skye groaned, rubbing her eye. It was only just past sundown, but she could feel exhaustion catching up to her. Not sleeping the night before was proving to be a bigger mistake than she would have liked.

She rubbed her face with both hands, attempting to push away the weight she felt her eyelids holding. "How did we manage to get this lost?" she grumbled bitterly.

Squirtle looked up at her, tilting his head to the side. "Squirtle?" he questioned before clenching his fists, smiling determinedly. "Squirtle!" He could tell that his trainer was tired, so he pushed her to keep going.

Skye glanced down at him through her fingers before sighing and slowly sliding her hands down her face. "Yeah, you're right," she said as she continued trucking ahead. "I mean, if we keep going straight then we've bound to find Viridian City eventually, right?"

Squirtle smiled and waddled happily behind her, not nearly as tired as she was. She didn't know how, though. They had been walking pretty much all day, and were even attacked by a couple of Pidgey after they had made a sorry attempt of trying to catch a baby one.

They walked in silence for another few minutes until Skye's stomach let out a low growl. She groaned, putting a hand to it. That's right—they hadn't had anything to eat either, considering a wild Rattata stole every last bit of their food supplies while they were being attacked by the Pidgey.

"Man, I'm starving," she groaned. "I'm willing to bet that Mom and Dad are at Grandma's house with Calla and Reid right now having a really awesome dinner…"

She slowly came to a stop, frowning at the ground. It was a common occurrence for her family to go to her Grandmother's house for dinner, many times the Oak family joining in. She was sure that was what they were doing tonight. She wondered what they were eating, what they were talking about. She could imagine her mother scolding her father for eating too fast, while her brother and sister slipped scraps of food to Pikachu. For the first time that day, she started to feel a little homesick.

Squirtle blinked, stopping as well as he looked up at her, tilting his head to the side curiously.

"Ya know," Skye started quietly, "I've wanted to leave home and go on this Pokemon journey for a long time now…" She turned around, looking back in the direction that they came from. "But I've spent my entire life with my family in Pallet Town." Her frown deepened, gripping the straps on her backpack. "I think I'm really gonna miss it."

Squirtle frowned. Though he didn't fully understand, he could tell that this was bothering his new trainer. Wanting to offer some small gesture of comfort, he gently pressed his hand against her leg.

When she felt his touch, Skye raised her eyebrows in surprise, shaking away her thoughts as she looked down at him. "Hm?"

Squirtle stared up at her for a moment before smiling confidently and clenching his firsts in assurance. "Squirtle!"

Skye didn't say anything, simply staring at her small partner. It was clear that he could sense her feelings and was making an attempt at cheering her up. Seeing the determination and understanding in Squirtle's eyes gave Skye the gentle reminder she needed as to why she went on this journey in the first place. It was for her and for her Pokemon. Maybe she was leaving her home behind, but she wasn't alone—she had Squirtle by her side. The two of them were going to make all kinds of new friends and see all kinds of new places.

And when they grew weary from their journey, they would always have Pallet Town to return to.

She sighed with a smile before laughing lightly and rubbing her head. "Yeah, you're right. What am I getting so mopey for anyways?" she asked, looking down at Squirtle. "You and I are gonna have a lot of really cool adventures after all, aren't we?"

"Squirtle! Squirt!" Squirtle affirmed with a confident nod.

She smiled, but before she could say anything else, the two heard a loud rustling coming from the bushes behind them. Skye's head shot up and she and Squirtle quickly turned to the source of the sound.

"What was that?" she asked, furrowing her brows. "A Pokemon?"

Taking a step back, Skye continued to look around the area. The rustling stopped and Skye lost the tension in her shoulders, raising an eyebrow.

"…Guess it was nothing."

Suddenly, a flash of light caught the corner of her eye. Gasping, she quickly spun around to see a pink blur rapidly moving towards them. She stumbled backwards, nearly tripping over Squirtle as it darted straight past them. Skye could have sworn she saw a long, thin, pink tail trailing behind it as it flew up into the trees.

"… O-oh! My Pokedex!" Skye cried as she began to scramble for her new device, pulling it out of her back pocket and turning in the direction it had flown. "I've gotta—!"

She stopped, staring out into trees as she slowly lowered her Pokedex. It was gone.

Inhaling, she shook herself out of it and turned her head to look at Squirtle. "Did you see tha—!"

But when she looked down to where Squirtle had previously stood, she realized that he had wandered on ahead, chasing after the pink light they had just seen. "Hey!" Skye called, picking up the pace to chase after him.

Suddenly, he disappeared into the bushes, only to pop his head out a moment later. "Squirtle!" he called to her eagerly, motioning for her to follow him before he crawled back inside.

Skye's face fell. "Squirtle! Wait! Get back here!" she called as she ran after him, pushing through the bushes until reaching a clearing. She saw Squirtle standing on a path a few feet away, happily pointing forward.

"Squirtle! Squirt! Squirtle!"

Skye blinked. "Huh? What is it…?" she asked, pushing through a few more bushes before stepping onto the path. Her eyes widened and Squirtle looked up at her happily, the lights of Viridian City shining on the horizon.

"Ah…! That's Viridian City!" Skye beamed. "We finally made it!" She laughed, running further up the path to get a better view, Squirtle chasing after her. The city glowed with life against the darkness of the night sky, and Skye took a moment to stare. She had been to Viridian City dozens of times growing up, but somehow it looked different to her now as she stood at the top of the hill.

"Hey, Squirtle," Skye said after a moment, causing her partner to look up at her curiously, "We both saw that thing before, right?"

Squirtle nodded his head fervently. "Squirtle!"

"Well, ever since I was a little kid, my Dad has always told me a story of how he saw a legendary Pokemon fly right over the rainbow on his first day as a Pokemon Trainer," she said, remembering the way her father's eyes would shine while reflecting on the old tale. "He's always said it was one of the coolest moments in his entire journey."

The pages of an old book flipped fuzzily in her mind—a book she had read alongside Briar about a Pokemon long extinct. She pursed her lips into a small smile.

"I think that, maybe just now…" She inhaled, turning to him as her smile grew. "Maybe we saw one, too!"

Squirtle stepped back, surprised at the assumption. "Squirt?"

"Hey, Squirtle—let's make a promise," she said suddenly. Squirtle blinked at the topic change and looked up at Skye.

Skye crouched down to Squirtle's level, smiling. "I've wanted to become a Pokemon Trainer for as long as I can remember," she started, shaking her head. "My Mom and Dad have always been my biggest inspirations. They're amazing trainers who have done all sorts of incredible things for both people and Pokemon."

She closed her eyes and smiled for a moment.

"But, someday..." She furrowed her brows, looking back down at him with a confident smile. "Someday I want to become Champion!" She clenched her fist. "I want to see the world and learn everything I can to become strong enough to challenge the Champion League and take it all! And then after that, I can help and protect Pokemon everywhere! That's my dream."

She took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts. "But I can't do that alone," she added, looking at Squirtle. "Let's make a promise to do it together. Let's promise to travel the world and train our hardest until we make it all the way to the top." She curled her fist, holding it out to Squirtle. "What do you say, teammate?"

Squirtle blinked, staring at her in awe before furrowing his brows and smiling confidently. "Squirtle!" he agreed as he curled his fist and gently bumped it against hers.

"All right! It's a promise, then!" Skye grinned, jumping to her feet. "Let's chase our dream together!" she said, running backwards. Squirtle's face lit up and he quickly began following her lead.

"It's a big world out there, and you and I are gonna see it all!" Skye said enthusiastically. She turned on her heel and began running down the hill with Squirtle trailing right on her heels, Viridian City shining in the distance.

Their dream was only beginning.

* * *

… _ And the journey continues! _


	2. Volume 1, Chapter 2

**_November 20th, 2031. Late Afternoon. Viridian City, Kanto._ **

Throughout his entire life, Briar Oak had been surrounded by Pokemon battles: he was neighbors with the Kanto League Champion, whose wife also served the League as a member of the Elite Four—the same position his own mother held. Even his father, a Pokemon Professor, had been a Pokemon Trainer at one point in his youth. Briar had seen more battles and had been to more tournaments than he could possibly remember. He would capture every movement he could, every impact, all in rough inked lines on a pad of paper he always kept by his side.

" _ Battle off!" _

Briar let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding as the crowd began to cheer. As if he had been seeing in only black and white, like the comics he drew, he suddenly felt his heart burst with color at the battle he had just witnessed. He kept his eyes on the trainer and Pokemon as a ribbon was handed to them.

" _ Congratulations on winning a hard-fought battle today, Ryan! You and your Pokemon certainly deserve this lovely Viridian Ribbon, being presented to you by Mr. Contesta!" _ the voice of Jillian Meridian, the Kanto Pokemon Contest MC, echoed throughout the hall.

The winning coordinator accepted his ribbon graciously and held it up for all to see. Briar studied it carefully from the image displayed on the large jumbotron above the battlefield. The golden plate in the center of the green ribbon glinted slightly under the hall's lights.

" _ Thank you everyone in the audience for coming today!"  _ Jillian continued through the microphone. _ "We hope you all enjoyed yourselves and we're looking forward to seeing you all next stage!" _

The crowd let out one final cheer as the coordinator bent down and pinned the ribbon on to his Pokemon with care. Ryan's eyes were sparkling with pride and something else that Briar didn't recognize.

He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to stand in his place.

"Man, that was some battle!"

Briar shot his head up, his daydream shattered by the boom of the voice beside him.

He looked over to see Ash rising from his seat, stretching his arms. "For a second there, I was totally sure Jessica and her Golduck had that battle won," he continued. "But Ryan and his Umbreon were really able to spin things around when it came to those points."

Pikachu let out a happy squeak and jumped from the railing that he had been perched on onto his trainer's shoulder. Ash let out a laugh, scratching beneath Pikachu's chin. "I guess you just never know how things will end up when it's a contest battle you're watching."

Briar returned his gaze to the stage, watching as the judges filed off and the clean-up crew took over. Ash was right. There were a lot of factors that went into a contest battle that regular battles lacked: the way your Pokemon looked, the time limit, the combinations.

It was different, and Briar had fallen under its spell.

"What did you guys think?" Ash asked.

Briar had so many thoughts swirling through his mind, but before he could even get the chance to respond, Skye jumped to her feet.

"It was so cool!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. "All of the Pokemon were amazing!" She punched forward. "The last battle was awesome! When that Golduck used Ice Beam I totally thought Umbreon was done for!"

Briar watched as Skye continued to gush to her father about the final battle. As she rambled on, Briar felt himself slipping back into his thoughts. The splashes of light and color from the contest crashed back into his mind, a fluttering feeling making him dizzy in excitement.

"What did you think of the contest, Briar?"

Briar quickly shook the thought away and focused his attention onto Ash.

"What?"

"The contest!" Ash repeated. "What did you think of it?"

Briar blinked, unsure of what to say. There was so much that had happened, he couldn't possibly describe it all. And yet, he felt his face crack into a large smile, unable to contain his excitement.

"It… was amazing! I never knew that Pokemon battles could be like that!"

Ash raised his brows in surprise before grinning, putting his hands on his hips. "So, you liked it, then?"

"Definitely!" Briar nodded, clenching his fists. "The battles were really intense, but the Pokemon looked awesome showing off their moves in the appeal round! It was like a show and a battle all in one!" Briar's eyes were shining with wonder as he looked back to the stage. "It must've taken those trainers and their Pokemon  _ forever _ to get all of that right!"

Ash watched Briar in amusement and let out a laugh. "Coordinators spend hours every day training to make their appeals just right," he explained, looking to Pikachu. "Even when Pikachu and I entered some contests together back in the day, we spent a lot of time working on getting our appeal down. It definitely wasn't easy work."

"You've entered a contest before, Dad?" Skye asked.

"Sure have!" Ash said, putting a hand to his chest with pride. "I've even got the ribbon to prove it! Or, well, half of it!"

"You  _ won _ ?" Skye gaped.

"Tied, actually," Ash corrected, looking to the ceiling. "I entered alongside a friend of mine. The two of us made it all the way to the final round. To say the least, our strengths were equally matched." Ash closed his eyes, inhaling as he remembered the final collision of the heated match. "It was a really exciting battle for the both of us and our Pokemon!"

For another moment, Ash didn't say a word. But then, his eyes opened and he smiled down at the two children in front of him. "Hey, speaking of which, there's someone I want you guys to meet before we take off!" He gestured with a wave of his hand. "Follow me!"

With that, Ash turned and made his way through the seats and out into the aisle.

Briar and Skye exchanged confused looks with one another before Skye shrugged and chased after her father. Briar lingered, turning to face the stage. He curled his fists by his sides, his shoulders tensing and his lips twitching into a small smile.

He saw himself under the spotlight, making his art come to life.

Realizing that Briar hadn't followed, Skye quickly turned on her heel, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Briar! C'mon! Don't be such a Slowpoke!" she taunted, before turning back in Ash's direction and running through the set of double doors at the top of the stairs.

Briar was pulled away from his thoughts and scowled at Skye's comment. "I am  _ not _ a Slowpoke!" he angrily retorted. He gave the stage one final glance before chasing after her and leaving the auditorium behind him.

* * *

"Can he really get us backstage?" Briar muttered to Skye.

"He's the  _ Champion _ ," Skye countered slyly. “Of course he can.”

Briar rolled his eyes and turned back to watch Ash converse with a security guard blocking the door that led backstage. He fidgeted his hand in his pocket, apprehension filling him as he wondered what exactly was on the other side of the door.

" _ It's a special surprise," _ Ash had told them, and Briar pursed his lips to keep his excitement from leaking out.

Skye was kicking a ball of lint on the ground, her interest easily lost, but Briar kept his eyes focused on Ash. Finally, the security guard gave him a nod, and Ash perked up before turning to Skye and Briar with a thumbs-up. The door was then opened, and Ash motioned with his arm for them to follow. Skye shot Briar a satisfied smirk before dashing over, tired of standing around.

Briar stared for a moment longer before he inhaled and walked forward, entering the room.

" _ Make sure you don't miss the next contest in Vermillion City! _ " Briar's attention was caught by a commercial playing on the television plastered against one of the walls in the room. " _ Sail on over there next weekend, November 27th, to see what so many talented coordinators and their Pokemon have to offer! _ " He found himself repeating that date in his mind so he wouldn't forget.

The lobby had a few people dotted here and there, most packing up their things and saying goodbye. Briar recognized one woman as the contest MC he saw on stage, and felt himself stiffen at the idea of how important everyone must be. He kept glossing them over, wanting to imprint every face he saw.

"Ash Ketchum!" a voice greeted. Briar snapped his head back forward and saw a man standing before them, holding out a hand. "How good it is to see you again."

"Mr. Contesta!" Ash firmly grasped his hand and shook it. "It's great to see you, too."

It was then that Briar remembered Ash pointing this man out to him before—saying that his name was Roland Contesta, and aside from being a contest judge, he also ran the Association of Pokemon Coordinating in the Kanto region. Briar felt himself tense, and Skye glanced over at him oddly.

"The contest was awesome!" Ash enthused, putting his hand back to his side. "There was a lot of great, young talent out there."

Roland laughed. "Yes, there certainly was. It's some tough competition this year—but I'm eager to see what they have in store for the Grand Festival." He smiled. "And I'm sure there are many talented trainers preparing for the Pokemon League Tournament this year as well, correct?"

Ash clenched his fist. "You bet! I've seen so many great battles at tournaments I've been to this year. I can't wait to see the League in action!"

"Well, I'm looking forward to watching it," Roland commented with a short laugh. "But, what gives the contest community the honor of having the Kanto League Champion at one of our events?"

"Ah, well, you see—!"

" _ Ash _ ?"

Briar twisted his head towards a voice coming from across the room, a woman standing in the doorway nearby. She appeared shocked as she stared at Ash with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open just the slightest. He quickly recognized her as being one of the judges who was on the panel today, though her name escaped him.

Ash looked over in surprise before grinning from ear to ear. "May! There you are! I was looking for you!"

Both Briar and Skye eyed each other cluelessly before looking back toward May who was now walking towards them with a bounce in her step.

"I can't believe it!" she laughed, shaking the initial shock away. "I wasn't expecting to run into  _ you _ here of all people!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried happily, bouncing off of his trainer's shoulder and into May's arms.

"Hello to you too, Pikachu!" May cooed, gently scratching behind Pikachu's ear, causing him to let out a content sigh.

Roland stepped aside to make room for May in their circle, looking between her and Ash. "So, I take it the two of you know each other?"

"Sure do!" Ash confirmed, watching as May continued to affectionately rub Pikachu atop the head. "See, May and I are old friends, so I came back here to say hello to her!"

May turned to face Roland, offering a shrug. "Ash and I used to travel together years ago—back when I first became a Pokemon Coordinator," she explained as she shot Ash a playful glance. "Long before he was a big and famous Champion."

Ash let out a sheepish laugh as Roland cracked a smile. "Ah, I see," he observed as he straightened himself out and brushed off his jacket. "Well then, I'll allow the two of you to catch up." He gave Ash a small pat on the shoulder. "It was good seeing you, Mr. Ketchum. Let's chat soon, all right? I'd love to talk more about what's happening with the League."

"Yeah, of course," Ash agreed with a nod. "I'll give you a call soon."

"I'll be waiting eagerly, then," Roland remarked as he gave the two a final wave. But just as he was turning away, he glanced down at Briar and shot him a smile before heading into the next room over.

May turned her attention back onto Ash. "What are you doing out here?" She placed a hand on her hip as Pikachu returned to his spot on his trainer's shoulder. "Not that I'm not happy to see you. I'm just… surprised!" She waved her hands frantically in assurance. "A good surprised, of course!"

Ash laughed before glancing at his small partner. "Well, last night I was looking for something to watch on TV and stumbled on the Coordinating Channel." He scratched under Pikachu's chin. "They were talking about the contest here in Viridian, and that was when they mentioned that you'd be here guest judging! As soon as I heard that, I knew I couldn't miss it!"

"I'm honored," May giggled before letting out a small sigh, raising an eyebrow. "But, you didn't have to come all this way just to say hello to me, you know—you're a busy person as is. I'd hate to tie up your schedule."

Ash waved a hand dismissively. "I wanted to," he assured. "Besides, Leaf can yell at me about my late paperwork all she wants when I get back to the office tomorrow—it's nothing out of the ordinary," Ash excused, causing May to shake her head before he continued with, "So, did you come to Kanto just to guest judge this contest?"

"Actually, no." May crossed her arms. "The only reason I came to Viridian in the first place was so I could take care of a teaching workshop that the APC wanted me to run here. But yesterday afternoon I got a call telling me that Nurse Joy had to go out of town for an emergency, and that they needed someone to fill in as a judge for her today." She shrugged with a smile. "So, here I am."

"Well, you did a great job out there, May! A real professional judge for sure!" Ash praised before glancing around the room. "So, Drew didn't come with you, huh?" he asked before turning back to her. "How are things with him?"

"Thank you, Ash," May laughed before shrugging. "Drew is the same as ever. Solidad has been keeping him busy in the office. They've been talking about building a new contest hall in Rustboro, so a lot of his attention is on that right now," she elaborated. "But he's off of work this weekend, so he's at home watching Allie and Nick while I'm on business here."

"Hey, that's great! Rustboro sounds like the perfect place for a contest hall!" Ash said, putting his hands on his hips. "And how are they doing? The kids, I mean."

May beamed at the mention of her children. "They're doing great!" she gushed. "Allie turned eight back in June, and Nick will be seven in a few weeks." She let out a sigh, pressing a hand to her cheek. "They're shooting up like a couple of Bellsprout."

May then blinked as if remembering something. Casting her gaze down at the two children standing in front of her, she smiled. "And speaking of which," she began, crouching down a bit to their level. "This must be Skylar!"

Skye, whose attention had since focused elsewhere, perked up at the mention of her name. She looked up at May, and then to her father questioningly.

Ash grinned and put a hand on top of his daughter's head. "That's right!" he affirmed before looking down at her. "Skye, you remember Mrs. Hayden, don't you?" he asked. "You've met once before when she came to visit Pallet Town—you played with her kids, Allie and Nick."

Skye scrunched her forehead, attempting to remember. After fishing through her memories for another moment, she looked up to May, her face lighting up. "Oh, yeah! I remember now!" Skye put a hand to her chin in thought. "We were playing out in the woods—but Allie fell in a mud puddle and cried, so we had to stop."

May laughed lightly, scratching her nose with a finger. "Yes, that's right. I remember that, too." She recalled her young daughter sobbing to her about how she "ruined" her favorite dress. She sighed, shaking the thought away as she turned her attention back to the child in front of her. "And how old are you now, Skye?"

" _ Eight _ ." Skye declared proudly, placing her hands on her hips.

"Wow, eight already?" May asked. "You've really grown up. Pretty soon you'll be a strong trainer like your Dad, huh?"

"That's right!" Skye declared proudly, causing Ash to smile.

Briar was standing behind Skye, feeling oddly shy in wonder. He stumbled a bit when he felt a shove to his shoulder, and quickly looked over at Skye.

"What's with that dumb look on your face?"

Briar stiffened in embarrassment and annoyance, and May perked up.

"Oh, and who do we have here?"

"This is Briar," Skye said just as Briar was about to speak, causing him to glower at her in frustration.

"Ah, yeah." Ash glanced at him before looking at May. "You remember my friends Gary and Leaf, right? This here is their son, Briar," he said, putting a hand on Briar's shoulder. "He and Skye are good buddies, so I decided to take them both to the contest today."

May offered him a hand. "Well, Briar, it's very nice to meet you."

Briar pursed his lips and shook off his embarrassment. "O-oh, uh. Yeah. You too," he said, taking her hand.

Ash looked down at Briar, nodding his head towards May. "Briar, this is May Hayden. She's an old traveling companion of mine from the Hoenn region— _ and _ a Top Coordinator." Briar perked up, quickly looking towards May as Ash continued. "She lives in Slateport City now and teaches coordinating classes there".

Briar's eyes widened a bit. "I didn't know there were classes for that sort of thing."

"Of course there are!" May said, holding up a finger. "Just like how there are classes for Pokemon Trainers, there are classes for Pokemon Coordinators, too. I teach all kinds of age groups, but the most popular classes I have are made up of kids about your age who are getting ready to go off on their own Pokemon journeys."

"And you teach them how to do all that stuff we saw today?" Skye asked curiously.

"That's right," May nodded. "I teach them all of the basics of appeals, battling, taking care of Pokemon, and anything else that they need to know to become a Top Coordinator in the making!"

"Top Coordinator?" Briar tilted his head, this being the third time today he had heard the term.

May smiled. "Coordinators compete all over collecting ribbons in contests." She held out five fingers. "If you manage to win five, you can enter the Grand Festival!" She furrowed her brows in excitement as Briar listened on eagerly. "Coordinators show off their skills in the ultimate showcase, and the winner is given the title Top Coordinator!"

"It's the highest honor that can be given to a coordinator," Ash added, looking down to Skye and Briar. "And you two are standing in front of one of the best Top Coordinators in the world!"

May laughed sheepishly and waved a hand. "Ash, please—there are  _ plenty _ of amazingly talented coordinators out there," she dismissed before growing quiet. Briar's mouth parted slightly as he saw a soft flame flutter behind her eyes. "But… my Pokemon and I  _ did _ work hard to get as far as we've come." She smiled, lifting her head. "Through coordinating, I was able to link my heart with the heart of my Pokemon."

Skye looked up at Ash. "That's like what you say about battling, Dad."

"Yeah." Ash ruffled her hair, causing Skye to grin. "You'll feel it for yourself one day too, kiddo."

May smiled affectionately at the two before feeling herself tense. Briar was staring right at her, his eyes shining in admiration. She looked over at him and felt a smile twitch at the corner of her lips.

"Well, maybe we have another future Top Coordinator right here."

Briar inhaled in surprise when he saw she was looking directly at him. His words were tangled in his throat and he opened his mouth in an attempt to speak before another woman stepped into the doorway.

"Mrs. Hayden," she called, holding a phone to her chest. "There's a call for you from the APC office in Slateport City—they want to talk to you briefly about the workshop from yesterday."

"Ah, just one moment!" May called back before turning to Ash and the others with a sigh. "Sorry, I have to take this—but why don't we catch up after? I have some time to kill before my flight back to Hoenn tonight."

"Sure thing!" Ash said with a nod. "We'll just hang around in here. I bet the kids are hungry anyways, so why don't we grab something to eat when you're done?"

"All right," May agreed, her face lighting up. "I heard there's a really nice noodle bar here, and I've been wanting to check it out—so let's plan on that. I won't be long!" She started to walk backwards towards the phone. "We can talk more about the contest during dinner," she remarked, and Briar inhaled when he noticed her wink at him. "See you then."

With that, she was gone—and the dozens of questions he would have upon her return began swimming through Briar's head as he cracked a smile.

* * *

**_April 2nd, 2034. Morning. Viridian City, Kanto._ **

" _ So, how was your flight? _ "

The Viridian City Pokemon Center was absolutely packed. Rookie trainers spilled into the lobby, noisy and full of energy as they showed off their new Pokemon to each other. Because there were no more rooms available, many were stuffed onto sofas and chairs—but with everyone buzzing around in excitement and wonder, no one seemed to mind.

Briar had to strain in order to hear his mother talking to him. He pressed the videophone receiver closer to his ear with a sigh. "Well, there  _ was _ this one kid kicking the back of my seat the entire ride," he started with a shrug. "But I can't really complain too much—it could've been worse, I guess." He eyed his father on screen with a sly smile. "At least I didn't end up with baby vomit in my lap."

He watched as Gary appeared to mutter something bitterly under his breath, clearly annoyed by his son bringing up a less-than-fond memory of an unpleasant plane ride he had taken a few summers prior.

Leaf shot Gary and amused smirk before turning her gaze back to her son. " _ And what time did you get back into Kanto last night? _ " she asked, returning to their previous conversation.

"Not until after midnight," he answered, looking down to the Charmeleon standing beside him.

Charmeleon, whose attention had previously been focused elsewhere, looked up when feeling his trainer's gaze upon him. He watched on as Briar tiredly rubbed the back of his neck, and gave his hand a gentle nudge with his snout.

"I was pretty lucky that there were even any rooms available in the Pokemon Center at that hour," Briar continued, petting Chameleon's forehead lightly. "When I—!"

He suddenly stopped mid-sentence upon hearing a muffled voice speak up from off-screen.

" _ Are you guys talking to Briar? _ "

Briar blinked, and Gary looked towards the source of the sound and nodded, saying, " _ Yeah. Did you want to say hello? _ "

There was than an enthusiastic " _ Yes _ !", followed by the patter of footsteps—and suddenly, his younger brother appeared on-screen, squeezing himself between his mother and father. " _ Hi, bro! _ " he greeted, beaming.

Briar grinned and held up a hand. "Hey, Aidan. What's up?"

Aidan stretched himself up onto his toes, lifting a spoon he held in his hand. " _ I was just eating breakfast—but when I heard Mom and Dad talking to you on the phone, I wanted to say hi! _ " he explained, before leaning in closer to the camera (pushing his parent's heads to the side to do so). " _ Hey, are you back in Kanto already? Did you bring me back anything cool from Hoenn? _ " he asked eagerly, changing the topic as Gary shot him a dissatisfied look.

"I was just saying to Mom and Dad that I got in last night," Briar explained before laughing lightly as his brother watched him with shining eyes. "And it's funny you mention that—I sent something out to you guys in the mail a few days ago. It should be arriving today or tomorrow."

" _ What? _ " Gary interrupted, confused. _ "Why would you bother send something out via postal services if you're just stopping in Pallet Town anyways? _ "

"Because I'm not."

Gary and Leaf exchanged glances with one another before turning back to the screen. " _ Not what? _ " Leaf questioned.

"Stopping in Pallet Town," Briar clarified.

Both of his parents reeled back in surprise, and Aidan's face fell, obvious disappointment written all over it.

" _ Wha? Why not? _ " Aidan whined, his frown deepening.

Briar sighed with a small smile before pulling a flyer out of his bag and holding it up to the screen. "Because I heard that there's a contest in the city today," he stated. "And as soon as I caught wind of that, I  _ knew _ I had to enter."

" _ So soon? _ " Gary asked, sounding skeptical as he glanced the flyer over.  _ "But you just got back into Kanto. You should take a break for a week or two before heading off again. _ "

Aidan nodded fervently in agreement with his father, but Briar shook his head. "No way," he said firmly, causing the frown to return to Aidan's face. "After getting the chance to compete in the Hoenn Grand Festival, my Pokemon and I are totally fired up to start this season off with a bang."

Briar knew it was the normality for trainers to return home and visit their families at the end of each season, but the flames that were burning inside of him that had been set by the Grand Festival made him want to keep going straight away—and he wasn't about to extinguish them now.

He looked down at Charmeleon who offered him a confident nod in return. "We've been training for our first contest of the season since the Grand Festival ended. And now that we're finally back in Kanto again, I know we're ready." He could feel that fire inside of him burning stronger at the image of a girl facing him across the stage. "After all, I can't afford to fall behind."

Aidan flicked his gaze between his parents, appearing unsure of what to say.

Leaf blinked a few times in surprise, but then closed her eyes with a smirk and shrugged. " _ Well, I suppose that does sound like something you'd say, _ " she started. " _ And we all know that once you have your mind set on something, there's no stopping you—even if it means missing out on a family visit. _ "

Briar snickered, rubbing his nose. "C'mon, Mom. I get enough of your pointless nagging over the phone—I don't need to hear it in  _ person, _ too."

" _ Watch it _ ," Leaf warned with an edge to her voice. " _ You're starting to sound like your father. _ "

Gary smiled wryly and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly—neither denying, nor confirming her statement. But just then, he bopped his fist against his palm and focused back on his son. " _ Oh, I just remembered, _ " he began, catching Briar's attention. " _ If you're going to be in Viridian City, then you should keep an eye open for Skylar. She left Pallet Town yesterday, and I got word from Ash that she made it to Viridian last night. _ "

Briar straightened out at the mention of his friend. He had completely forgotten that Skye would have been one of the many trainers to receive her first Pokemon yesterday. He leaned in closer to the screen, pressing his free hand against the counter for balance. "Wha? Skye's in the city? For real?"

" _ Yeah,"  _ Gary affirmed. " _ She took off for Viridian right after getting her Pokemon at the lab yesterday morning. _ "

"And how did  _ that _ go?"

Gary deadpanned and Leaf shot him a sly smile, stifling a small laugh. " _ There was a bit of a… mishap,"  _ he said slowly, taking a pause to adjust his glasses. Letting out a sigh, he waved it off.  _ "But everything worked out in the end. _ "

Briar scrunched his nose in confusion. "A mishap? What kind of mishap?"

" _ I'm sure Skye would love to tell you all about it herself, _ " Gary responded flatly. " _ Which reminds me—if you see her, then you should show her the ropes of things. _ " He pressed a finger to his temple. " _ Make sure that she's not messing something up already. _ "

Briar offered a two-fingered salute. "You can count on me," he assured. "I'll definitely keep her from getting someone killed."

Gary didn't appear convinced of that, and Leaf rolled her eyes in amusement, giving Gary a playful nudge. " _ Anyways, _ " she started, looking back to Briar. " _ We'll let you go. I'm sure you have to get ready for your contest later—if you're not coming home then the least you can do is promise us you'll win. _ " She winked. " _ So, you'd better get started on your training. Pallet Town is cheering you on. _ "

Gary sighed and held up a hand. " _ Good luck, son. Make us proud. _ "

Aidan, who seemed to be a bit more understanding of his older brother's standpoint now, excitedly leaned in closer to the screen. " _ I'll cheer super loud at the TV for you, bro! So you've gotta win, all right? _ "

Briar looked down to Charmeleon, who proudly huffed smoke out of his nostrils. Feeling confidence brimming inside of him, he grinned and turned back to the screen. "You've got yourself a deal!" He clenched his fist. "We'll totally sweep the competition, and I'll have my first ribbon by the end of the day! Count on it!"

After saying his final goodbyes and assuring his family that he would visit soon (after Aidan made him promise that he would), Briar disconnected the call and exhaled, turning to face Charmeleon.

"Family—am I right?" he huffed, gently petting Charmeleon atop the horn, who simply responded by cocking his head to the side. "C'mon." He turned towards the exit. "Let's grab a bite to eat and then get started on our training!"

Charmeleon nodded in agreement, and Briar began pushing his way through the groups of kids filling the lobby until he finally managed to make it to the exit. However, upon stepping outside, he was met with another gathering of young trainers. Only this time, they all appeared to be standing in a circle, as if they were watching something.

After exchanging a confused glance with Charmeleon, Briar made his way over to the edge of the circle in an attempt to get a better look at whatever was going on.

"Water Gun!"

It only took a moment for Briar to realize he was watching a Pokemon battle—likely between two new trainers, he figured. When he turned his head to the match, he saw a Rattata get blasted back from its defensive stance by a powerful jet of water, knocking it straight to the ground.

"Rattata, c'mon! Get up!" a young trainer standing behind the fallen Pokemon cried as Rattata slowly tried to rise to its feet.

Briar shifted his gaze from the struggling Rattata to get a look at its opponent. Standing at the other end of the circle's opening was a Squirtle who looked as if he was only getting started—and standing right behind him was none other than Skylar Ketchum herself.

Briar raised his eyebrows. "That's Skye…"

"He's as good as finished!" Skye smirked, pointing forward. "Give 'em one last tackle, Squirtle! Full force!"

Obeying his trainer's command, Squirtle darted forward and began his charge towards his struggling opponent.

Panic struck the face of Rattata's trainer as he looked down at the Pokemon laying a few feet away. "C'mon, Rattata! Get up and dodge!" he begged desperately.

Rattata gritted its teeth and shakily rose to its feet. But this didn't last for long when Squirtle rammed head-first into it, sending the Mouse Pokemon crashing to the ground once more. This time, it didn't appear as if Rattata was going to rise and continue fighting.

The trainer's face fell as he watched his Pokemon fail to stand back up. "A-ah! No way! My Rattata!" he cried, quickly rushing over to his Pokemon and kneeling down to make sure it was all right. Once he had checked it over for any serious injuries, he groaned and hung his head in defeat, retrieving a Poke Ball from his pocket. "Return," he grumbled, recalling Rattata to its ball.

Skye pumped her fist into the air, beaming. "Score!" she enthused before holding up three fingers. "That's three points for Team Ketchum, and zero points for the challenging team!"

Squirtle puffed out his chest, smiling proudly and placing his hands on his hips. The crowd of trainers that surrounded them talked excitedly amongst themselves, a few applauding for Skye and Squirtle's victory. Even Briar couldn't help but crack a smile in satisfaction.

The trainer Skye had defeated moments prior rose back to his feet. "Wow, you really  _ are _ strong," he commented, slipping Rattata's Poke Ball back into his pocket. "My Rattata and I barely stood a chance!" He blinked. "But… are you seriously Ash Ketchum's daughter?"

Skye opened an eye, grinning. "You mean the one and only Champion, Ash Ketchum? You bet I am!"

That response caused a murmur of "ohhs" and "ahhs" from the crowd surrounding the two trainers, and Skye seemed to take notice of that, smirking. "But hey," she continued with a shrug. "Don't get  _ too _ down on yourself just because you lost." She dusted off her shoulders nonchalantly. "I've just got it in my blood, is all."

If Briar had been impressed by Skye's victory before, then he certainly wasn't anymore.

"That's so cool!" The boy's face lit up. "Then I bet you're gonna be awesome in the Pokemon League Tournament!"

"Are you kidding?" Skye laughed, thumbing towards herself. "Of course I am! I'm the daughter of the Champion! My victory is written in the stars!"

Briar groaned lowly in annoyance as Skye pushed on with, "And I'm gonna start by completely steamrolling the Gym Leader!"

Briar rolled his eyes as the trainers surrounding him talked about wanting to see  _ that _ battle. Eventually deciding that  _ someone _ needed to knock her down a few pegs, he sighed and pushed his way through the crowd until reaching the circle's center.

"You can't be serious," Briar interrupted, getting the attention of several trainers standing nearby. "There's no way a rookie trainer like you could take down someone as experienced as a Gym Leader. They'd squash you like a _ Caterpie _ ."

Skye inhaled, suddenly bubbling with anger as she shot her head back. "Well, I—!" Her face fell, and Briar held up a hand.

" _ Briar _ ?"

"Hey, hey!" a boy from the crowd called angrily, stepping forward. "You got any idea who you're talking to right now? That's the _Champion's_ _daughter_!" He pointed a finger towards Skye who stiffened and pursed her lips, holding up her hands to stop him. But before she could even get the chance to say a word, Briar spoke up again.

"Eh?" He turned to the boy before snorting. "Please." Briar motioned a thumb towards Skye. "I've known her since she was wetting the bed."

Skye became flustered, going red in the face as she turned to the crowd. "I never wet the bed!" A few kids in the crowd began laughing, and Skye shot Briar a glare. Her lips were pursed in a hard line, trying to send him the signal to shut up.

It went unnoticed.

"You and I both know that's a lie," Briar continued, turning his attention back to the crowd. "In fact, one time she actually—!"

But Briar didn't get the chance to finish when Skye suddenly grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him out of the circle.

Briar stumbled along with her and let out a wince of pain at her grip. "Hey, hey!" he scowled, shrugging her off once they had stopped moving. "No need to be so forcef—!"

"What are you doing?!" Skye whispered harshly. "You're embarrassing me!" she hissed between her teeth, eyeing the crowd of giggling trainers angrily.

Briar looked unimpressed. "What am  _ I _ doing? What are  _ you _ doing? Do you even listen to yourself talk?" He rubbed his aching wrist. "Written in the stars? Steamrolling a Gym Leader?" He huffed, sliding his hands into his pockets. "You left Pallet Town less than a day ago. What're those kids gonna think of all your big-talk when they see you crash and burn?"

Skye pursed her lips, flustered. "Shut up! I'll have you know that I'm on a victory streak right now! I've beaten three other trainers already today—in a row!" She glared and clenched her fists. "I've got all the skills I need to fight a Gym Leader right here, right now."

"That's a good one."

Skye growled angrily, ruffling her hair before shooting Briar another glare. "You know, if you doubt me so much, then why don't you come to the Viridian Gym so you can see me score the winning goal for yourself!" She smiled slyly, placing her hands on her hips. "Then you can see just how strong I am."

Briar scrunched his face in confusion. "You mean you didn't hear?"

"Hear what?"

"The Viridian City Gym," Briar started. "It had some serious damage done to it in that big storm Kanto got a few weeks back." He glanced down the road in the direction of the gym. "I heard this morning at the Pokemon Center that the place has to undergo a lot of renovations, and that the Gym Leader isn't accepting challengers until it's finished." He looked at Skye with a smirk. "Tough luck for you."

"E-eh?" Skye stammered, her face falling as she took a step backwards. "You're kidding!" When Briar didn't falter, Skye hung her head in defeat, letting out a groan. "But this was supposed to be the second part of our victory streak…"

Briar resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Beating a few newbie trainers with freshly caught Pokemon hardly counts as much of a "victory streak"." He closed his eyes, holding up a finger. "Think of it this way—now you have the chance to get in some more serious training before going for your first badge—then you won't be  _ as  _ embarrassed when you inevitably lose."

Skye paid him no attention.

"What a red card…" she murmured, her head still hanging low.

Realizing that he was being ignored, Briar crossed his arms, unamused. He didn't know why he even bothered to try with her sometimes. He opened his mouth for take two, but a sudden "squirt!" caught his attention. When he looked to the source of the sound, he noticed his Charmeleon conversing with Skye's Squirtle a few feet away. Scratching the take two, he decided to sway the topic instead.

"So, I see you settled on Squirtle."

Without missing a beat, Skye instantly perked up. "Oh!" She looked over at her new Pokemon. "Yeah! Pretty cool, huh?" She closed her eyes, pounding a fist to her chest. "My first team player! He's great out on the field!" She had clearly forgotten about the gym match already as she praised her partner.

Squirtle shifted his attention to Skye when realizing that he was being addressed. He looked toward his trainer and smiled proudly, pounding a fist to his own chest in imitation. "Squirtle!"

"Team player, huh?" Briar crouched down to get a better look at the Turtle Pokemon as it approached him, gently petting him atop the head when he came close enough. "Well, if you got him from my Dad, then he must be pretty strong."

"You bet!" She punched her fist forward. "The two of us are unstoppable!"

Squirtle mimicked her motion, causing Briar to lean back just the slightest in order to avoid being hit. It was easy to tell that the two were a good match, and Briar wondered what made Skye realize that for herself.

Suddenly, he remembered a comment his father made on the phone. "Actually, that reminds me," he started, slowly rising to his feet and turning to Skye with a smirk. "You wanna tell me about the little ‘mishap’ that happened at the lab yesterday? My Dad spared me the details, saying you'd love to share."

Skye faltered, quickly becoming flustered and rubbing the back of her head. "O-oh, uh,  _ that _ . Well…"

Briar raised an eyebrow in amusement as he waited for Skye to continue. After a few more moments of her stammering, trying to figure out where to begin, Briar closed his eyes and held up his hands to stop her. "You know what? Why don't we continue this conversation elsewhere?" Skye looked at him, confused, and he opened an eye with a smile. "Have you eaten yet?"

* * *

The smell of coffee and vanilla hung in the air. Skye and Briar sat by a window in the back of a cafe, Charmeleon and Squirtle on the floor beside them eating from a bowl of Pokemon food. The café was quiet and slow in the time following its breakfast rush, with just a trainer here and there enjoying a cup of tea in their downtime.

The silence was broken when Briar spit out his drink through snorted laughter.

Skye slammed her mug down on the table. "It's not funny!"

"Yeah it is," Briar laughed, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "But, you know, I really shouldn't be surprised that you of all people would pick a fight with a Nidorino."

"It provoked me!" she scowled angrily.

"Everything provokes you."

Skye's face went red with anger and she lifted a finger to point at him. "Well, you know what?! I—!"

Briar decided to stop her there before he risked getting pummeled in the jaw. "Either way," he started, pushing some of the food around on the plate in front of him. "It sounds like you and Squirtle were able to make a pretty good team back there, considering it was your first day." He shot her a smile. "I'd say you picked the right Pokemon after all."

Skye's anger quickly diminished upon Briar's compliment, her face breaking into a grin. "We did, didn't we?" She looked at Squirtle confidently. "And if we made that good of a team on our first day then getting our first badge will be a piece of cake!"

Squirtle looked up from his food and pumped his fist into the air with a "Squirtle!"

Briar cringed. "This again?" He sighed, exasperated, and picked up his tea cup. "Skye, Gym Leaders are  _ way _ different from some pissed off Nidorino or a group of rookie trainers. They're individuals with years of battling experience under their belt." He huffed, raising the rim of the cup to his lips. "Don't get too cocky."

Skye huffed angrily, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "If you wanna test my strength for yourself, then why don't  _ you _ battle me, O Know-It-All?"

"Pass."

"Eh? What's this?" Skye pressed her hands against the table, leaning forward with a smirk. "Don't tell me you're scared."

Briar deadpanned. "Don't be ridiculous. If we battled then I'd be able to take you down without missing a beat." He watched as Charmeleon continued to enjoy his breakfast, paying no mind to the Squirtle sitting across from him. His eyes then flicked to Skye, who looked as if she was ready to heatedly retort. "I just don't want to pointlessly wear down my Pokemon before the contest today," he added.

Skye stopped, scrunching her face in confusion. "Contest…?"

"Oh, guess I forgot to mention it," Briar started, picking up a piece of toast. "There's a contest today here in Viridian that I plan on entering."

Skye reeled back. "You're not heading back to Pallet first?"

Briar shook his head before swallowing the piece of toast he was chewing on. "Nah. Pallet Town is out of the way, and I want to get started on this season as early as possible," he said, taking a bite out of his toast. "After having the chance to compete in the Hoenn Grand Festival a few weeks ago, I'm raring to get started."

"Oh!" Skye perked up at the mention of the Grand Festival. "That reminds me! I saw your battle on TV, you know!" She grinned. "Man, my heart was totally pounding during that first round! Your Pokemon all looked so awesome! And Charmeleon really seems like he's gotten strong, too!" she praised, glancing down at Charmeleon, who simply closed his eyes and looked away in response (though a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, Briar noticed).

He let out a small laugh. "Hey, thanks." He looked down at his hands on the table, rubbing his fingertips against the surface. "That battle was the biggest rush I've ever felt on stage. Getting the chance to perform and battle alongside my Pokemon for a crowd that big against some of the best coordinators in the region…" He shook his head. "It's not like anything I can describe."

He flicked his eyes to Charmeleon, who looked up at him with a determined gaze. "It's why I've gotta get a head start. I can't fall behind the others now."

"That's the way!" Skye encouraged, pointing at him. "And next time you'll make it all the way to the top! Starting with today's contest!"

"Yeah, you bet!" Briar assured. He closed his eyes, the heat of the spotlights glaring down on him from above the Grand Festival stage. A girl stood facing him through the clearing smoke as the clock struck zero. Briar clenched his fists and opened his eyes, a spark in them.

Taking a deep breath, he rose to his feet, and Charmeleon was quick to do the same. "Anyways," he started, sliding a hand into his bag. "If you wanna see how  _ real _ trainers battle, then you should come and watch the contest today."

Retrieving the flyer from earlier, Briar placed it on the table, sliding it towards Skye. She glanced at it before looking up at him in confusion. But before she could say a word, Briar added, "Then maybe you'll think next time before you talk about steamrolling a Gym Leader." He waved a hand, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. "See ya around."

Skye attempted to retort, but at that point, Briar was already walking through the front door—Charmeleon trailing inches behind him.

She huffed, leaning back in her chair as she crossed her arms, dissatisfied with Briar's sudden departure. As she stood up, she noticed a small piece of paper left on the table and picked it up. Her face fell with just a quick glance of it, and she turned red in anger before slamming it back down on the surface.

"That punk left me with the bill! I can't believe he'd—!"

Skye stopped when she felt a pat on her leg. Looking down, she saw Squirtle holding out another piece of paper to her that had fallen on the ground. Raising an eyebrow, she bent down and carefully took it from Squirtle's grasp.

' _ Viridian City Pokemon Contest! _ '

A smile twitched at the corner of Skye's lips as she looked over the flyer that Briar had left behind. Huffing, she gave Squirtle a crooked grin, tightening her grip on the piece of paper.

"If we're going to storm over there and make him pay for this bill, then we might as well catch his performance first."

* * *

**_January 14th, 2032. Night. Pallet Town, Kanto._ **

"This thing is the coolest!"

It was dark, but the stars that filled Pallet Town's night sky, along with the white glow from the screen of Briar's new Pokegear, lit up the hill that he and Skye were sitting on. Murmurs of voices faintly came from inside of the lab behind them as the adults cleaned up what remained of the birthday party they celebrated earlier that night. 

Briar had been paying no attention to the sounds or to Skye sitting beside him. Instead, he was too busy thinking about the comments everyone had been making to him during the party—like "to make Pallet Town proud at the League"—and his shoulders tensed. But when Skye spoke up, he became alert, turning to look at her as she pressed various buttons on his Pokegear.

Pursing his lips, he felt his fingers glide over the sketch pad beside him.

"You're so lucky! It'd be totally awesome to have one of these for myself!" Skye continued, looking at him. "Hey, maybe when I turn ten, my parents will buy me a Pokegear, too! Then we can talk on them all the time!" She turned her attention back to the gadget in front of her, swiping her finger across the touchscreen. "I'd get mine in red, though."

Briar huffed, cracking a smirk. "No way would your Mom and Dad ever get you something as expensive as a Pokegear," he teased, snatching the device from her grasp and sliding it into the safety of his jacket pocket. "You'd probably break it."

Becoming flustered, Skye gave Briar's shoulder a gentle shove. "Nu-uh!" she retorted, sticking her tongue out at him. "I'd take super good care of it!"

He scoffed. "You mean like the bike you got for your birthday last year? Or the TV you had in your room? Or—!"

Feeling her blood boil, Skye was quick to punch Briar roughly in the arm, causing him to yelp in pain. But just as quickly as her anger came, it went, and she smiled. "Hey! Speaking of TVs," she started, curling her hands into fists. "Now that you're finally ten, I can't wait to watch you score at the Pokemon League next season! You must be totally excited!"

Briar groaned, rubbing his arm soothingly. "Skye, you can't just hit people—!" He froze when she mentioned the upcoming training season. Averting his eyes to the ground, Briar fell silent for a moment. "Oh, uh…. Right," he started, looking out towards the horizon again. "The Pokemon League."

Skye crossed her arms, glancing at Briar skeptically before knitting her brows together. "Hey, what's your problem?" she asked. "You've been acting weird since this morning. You get all quiet whenever I bring up training." She suddenly gasped, pressing her hands against the ground and leaning in towards him. "Are you having second thoughts? You  _ do _ wanna go on a journey, right?"

Leaning back in surprise, Briar held up his hands, shaking his head quickly. "No, no! …I mean, yes! I mean…" He pursed his lips, watching as Skye's face twisted in confusion. "It's nothing like that, I just…" He tensed his shoulders and glanced away from her gaze, thinking it over before firmly looking back at her. "Okay, I'm gonna tell you something—but you have to  _ swear _ you won't get mad."

"I wouldn't get ma—!"

"You  _ swear _ ?"

Becoming flustered, Skye puffed her cheeks before slowly nodding in response.

Briar exhaled. "…Okay," he started, pursing his lips. "Do you remember that Pokemon Contest we went to a few weeks ago? The one your Dad took us to in Viridian City?"

"Uh-huh. We met his friend and everything."

"Right. Well…" He rubbed his hands together, trying to figure out the best way to put it. "I mean… I thought it was really cool. Getting to see trainers work alongside their Pokemon to show off those appeals was really something else." He hesitated. "It was like watching a show."

Skye blinked a few times before giving him a teasing look. "You mean like your  _ Hoenn Rangers Coexistence Force _ ?"

Briar became embarrassed, his cheeks dusting red. It was a superhero show for children, a show where Pokemon and people worked together to make the world a better place. Skye always poked fun at him—he never missed an episode, owned every manga volume, had every action figure neatly lined up on his shelf.

"Sort of," he muttered, and Skye tilted her head. "…I've been watching contests on TV ever since that day," he continued, still looking at the ground. "The showy battles, the ticking clock, the climax of a final move—it's all like one big, epic story." He lowered his voice, adding with a grumble, "I guess you  _ could _ say it reminds me of the Hoenn Rangers." Skye shot him a sly smile at this, and he cleared his throat to silence her.

"And all of it—It's kinda like art," he continued, running his fingers over the sketchbook beside him. On the page it was left open to, a comic of an Umbreon and Golduck clashing in battle was sketched in sharp, black lines. "The careful movements of drawing each line are the same as the movements of those Pokemon." He inhaled. "Standing on that stage would be like making all of that real."

Skye eyes widened in realization. "…You want to be a coordinator!" she blurted out in shock. Briar hunched his shoulders, quiet and tense as he averted his eyes away from her.

Trailing her eyes, Skye noticed the sketchbook laying by Briar's side. Countless times she had seen him bent over it, focused as he scribbled away. Every time she would try to peek over his shoulder he would quickly shut the book, leaving her to pout. But every once in a while, she'd catch a glimpse of a scene of beauty and power—like for a moment she saw a piece of Briar that was kept hidden, quietly dormant and anxious for a day when it would light up for the world to see.

"Jeeze," Skye said suddenly with a sigh, causing Briar to look over in alarm. "You're such a nerd."

Briar twisted his face in embarrassment and opened his mouth to retort, but paused when Skye looked at him, a bright smile on her face.

"I'll be cheering for you, then!"

Briar reeled back in alarm at her words, taking a moment to let them sink in. "…You're not mad that I don't wanna be a trainer?" he questioned, straightening out.

Skye grinned. "I guess I'm just not that surprised, is all," she admitted, glancing at the sketchbook again. "It's like you said, contests are kinda artsy, and you've always been drawing those comics." She then quickly leaned over her friend and grabbed the sketchbook away from him. Briar panicked and attempted to snatch it back, but Skye pulled away from him, flipping through the pages before stopping on the last page. She stared at the Golduck and Umbreon on the verge of colliding, and an all too familiar image of the contest they had attended a few weeks prior came bursting back into her mind.

"…You never let me see your art."

Briar scowled and snagged the book back, returning it to his side and out of her grasp. "Skye, you can't just—"

"—But now I'll be able to."

Briar paused and Skye grinned at him. He coughed a bit before closing his eyes, letting out a huff.

"Whatever," he dismissed, but a small smile twitched at his lips.

Skye laughed and playfully shoved his shoulder. Relief was starting to wash over him at her support, but before he got the chance to say more, Skye suddenly gasped, her face lighting up. "Hey, hey!" she started, bouncing in place. "Let's make a promise!"

He blinked, taken back. "A promise?"

"Yeah!" Skye grabbed his hand suddenly, and Briar gasped as she yanked him closer. She beamed confidently, gipping his hand tightly. "Promise me that you'll become a Top Coordinator." She extended her pinky to him. "And I'll become a Pokemon Master!"

Briar furrowed his brows together, looking at her pinky. "What?"

"Weren't you listening, dummy?" Skye said, poking his shoulder lightly. "I want to be Champion someday. I wanna work hard with my Pokemon to become the strongest team in the world, so that I can do a lot of good, just like my Dad!" Briar noticed a small flare flicker behind her eyes. "And if you're gonna be a Pokemon Coordinator now, then you wanna aim all the way for the top too, right?"

Briar nodded and Skye continued. "Then promise me that you'll become a Top Coordinator! Fight without giving up, and show the whole world the art that you and your Pokemon can make together! Do that, and I promise you that I'll fight for my dream, too!"

Briar stared at her, taken back, before a smile spread slowly across his face. Free of hesitation, he held out his own pinky and interlocked it with hers.

"All right. It's a promise."

* * *

**_April 2nd, 2034. Noon. Viridian City, Kanto._ **

Skye wove through the crowd of people, squeezing by with her head hung low. She kept darting her eyes back and forth, coming to a stop suddenly and holding her breath. Squirtle trailed behind her with a bounce in his step, oblivious to his trainer's careful movements. Spotting the door, Skye took a deep breath before dashing over, quickly opening it and sliding herself inside before shutting it with a triumphant snicker.

The locker room was buzzing with excitement and anxious murmurs as everyone was doing last minute checkups on their Pokemon. A small flame caught Skye's eye, and she raised her brows in realization before storming over, Squirtle in tow.

"Ha!" she said suddenly, pointing a finger. "Briar! Penalty!"

Upon hearing Skye's voice, Briar looked up from tending to his Charmeleon, surprised to see her pushing her way past a few other coordinators. "Skye…?" He rose to his feet as he continued to watch her approach, cracking a smirk. "You actually came."

"Of course I came!" Skye scowled, pulling a small slip of paper from out of her pocket and waving it in his face. "You can't just get away with a foul, you know!"

Scrunching his face in confusion, Briar took the slip of paper out of Skye's hand. "Wha? A fou—!" He deadpanned with one look at the small numbers printed across the bottom. "Oh, is this the bill from breakfast?"

"That's right!" Skye spat, holding out a hand to him. "Now pay up!"

Briar shook his head, closing his eyes and holding the receipt back out to her. "C'mon. After all I've done for you over the years, you can't even pay for one measly meal of mine?" He opened an eye. "That's no foul—that's you taking a cheap shot."

"If you're broke from losing so much, you could have just said so," Skye teased, snatching the paper away from him.

Briar narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Because we can't all be on 'victory streaks' like you, right?"

"You've got it."

Briar rolled his eyes and sat back down, returning his attention to Charmeleon (who was currently casting an annoyed glance towards the Squirtle attempting to make conversation with him). "I'm surprised that you would come all this way just to tell me I owe you a few bucks." Taking a cloth out of his bag beside him, he carefully wiped Charmeleon's face. "You really  _ are _ ruthless."

Skye closed her eyes, crossing her arms stubbornly. "I wanted to be sure I got my money back." She huffed, opening an eye to glance at him with a smile. "But getting to watch some battles sounded like a plus, too."

Briar blinked before raising an eyebrow, smirking at her. "Oh? What's this? So, you want to see how a real trainer battles after all, huh?" He slid the cloth back into his bag. "I'm flattered, honestly."

Flicking his forehead with her index finger, Skye scoffed, unamused. "You should be, since I snuck back here just to wish you luck."

Briar huffed and rubbed his forehead. He was going to make a comment—claiming that if that was the case, then clearly his unpaid bill wasn't a problem—but instead scrunched his face in confusion. "Wait,  _ snuck  _ back here? What are you talking about? The locker rooms in contest halls are open to the public." Suddenly, it clicked, and he blinked in realization with a smirk. "Hang on. Don't tell me you were sneaking around outside like a moron in front of all those people?"

Skye's face fell, becoming red. "E-eh?" She pursed her lips, flustered. "Why didn't someone tell me—!"

"Did you actually bother asking in the first place?"

Skye faltered. "A-are you ready for the contest or what?!" she spat, changing the topic.

Briar snickered, shaking his head before glancing up at her. "As ready as I'll ever be." He held up a small card to her with the number ' _ 1 _ ' printed in the center. "Considering I'm up first in the appeals, that is."

Skye's anger dissipated, grinning. "First, huh?" She thrust her fist forward. "Then you're gonna 'wow' them right from the start!" She closed her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. "Trust me, you'll set the bar high and make everyone else look weak in comparison!"

Briar laughed lightly with a smirk. "Were you expecting anything less?"

"No way! You have a promise to keep, after all," she reminded, opening an eye with a teasing look. "And if you win, I  _ might  _ even consider letting go of your debt to me."

Briar closed his eyes with a huff, rising to his feet. "Well then, since the last thing I want is to be in debt to  _ you  _ of all people, you've got yourself a deal." He clenched his fist, smiling confidently. "Charmeleon and I won't leave here without that ribbon."

Skye smiled, but before she could get the chance to respond, a woman's voice rang out from the intercom system built into the wall above them.

" _ This is a reminder that the Viridian City Pokemon Contest will begin in five minutes. We ask at this time for all audience members to make their way to the main performance hall and find their seats. Again, the Viridian City Pokemon Contest will begin in… _ "

Skye looked toward the intercom as the woman continued to speak, her face falling. "Ah, I'd better get going or else I won't get a good seat!"

Briar sighed with a nod. "Yeah. I have to start heading backstage anyways," he said before turning to her with a confident smile. "Get ready to be blown away. That ribbon is as good as mine."

"I'll hold you to that," Skye said, holding her fist out to him with a confident grin. "Good luck out there. Show 'em what you and your Pokemon are made of!"

Briar huffed, bumping his fist against hers. "You know it."

She lit up, pulling her hand away. "All right then, I'll see you on stage!" She looked down to Squirtle, who was offering Charmeleon a few final words of luck. "Come on, Squirtle." Skye flashed Briar one final smile and a thumbs-up before taking off.

Briar watched Skye until the door closed behind her, but his attention was quickly drawn towards the intercom on the wall a woman's voice spoke through it yet again.

" _This is a reminder for_ _contestants 1-5, please start to make your way backstage. Again, this is a…"_

Briar felt his heart rate pick up and his legs became jelly, unable to move. Was he taking a step toward his first ribbon, or towards his first defeat of the season?

"Char. Charmeleon."

Briar looked down at Charmeleon bumping his head against his hand. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Briar took a deep breath before offering a confident smile, clenching his fist. Charmeleon smiled back at him, the flame on his tail bursting in determination. Briar took a step forward, toward the open doors before him.

"It's showtime."

* * *

**_April 24th, 2032. Late Afternoon. Pewter City, Kanto._ **

" _ And now we will reveal the eight contestants who will be moving on to the next stage! _ "

A large group of coordinators huddled around the television screen that was plastered to the locker room wall, anxiously waiting on the names and pictures that would be appearing in just a moment. Some were shifting anxiously, while others stared on with a glint of confidence in their eyes.

Briar, however, sat away from the rest of the group. His shoulders were slumped and his head hung low. He didn't need to crowd around the television with the others in order to know that he wouldn't be moving on to the next round.

The Charmander standing in front of him offered his trainer's hand a gentle nudge of reassurance with his nose. Briar's eyes stung, and he pursed his lips in an attempt to do everything he could to keep the lump that was forming in his throat from rising. A single tear dropped onto an open page from his sketchbook of a Charmander releasing fireworks into the sky, smudging the ink.

Charmander looked up at his trainer with a sympathetic gaze, letting out a quiet, "Char".

"I'm sorry, Charmander," Briar responded, pressing the palm of his hand to his eye in an attempt to keep any more stray tears from falling to his face. "We totally stunk because of me..."

A flash of Charmander on center stage flooded back to him, a ball of fire pouring from his mouth before being fired up to the sky. A small smile twitched at his lips, awaiting fireworks, but he raised his eyebrows as the ball fell back down, suddenly hitting the stage in a burst of fire and smoke, the impact causing Charmander to fall over. Coughing, Briar opened his eyes slowly to see into the smoke, his eyes widening as his Charmander struggled to get to his feet. The judges were coughing and wiping their eyes, and Briar began to panic.

_ 17.3 _

That was the number that lit up on the board as Briar scooped Charmander into his arms.

Briar shook the image from his mind, already replaying it a dozen times by now. He closed his eyes tightly, curling his trembling hands into fists. "I'm so sorry."

"Briar?"

Inhaling sharply, Briar quickly sat up as he began wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "Uhm. Yeah, I'm—!" But when he turned to the voice, he was surprised to see a woman standing there. His eyes widened and he rose to his feet. "Mrs. Hayden...!"

May offered him a small smile, tilting her head to the side. "I thought I recognized you. It's been a while, huh?"

Briar blinked a few times in surprise. "I, uh..." He nodded. "Yeah, it has..." He furrowed his brows in confusion. "But… I thought you lived in the Hoenn region. What are you doing here...?"

"I came to Kanto to attend a lecture," she explained, turning her head to look at the television on the wall. "I heard that there would be a contest in town, so I decided to catch it before I headed back home."

He raised his brows in surprise. "Oh," he said before pursing his lips in embarrassment and glancing away. "Then I guess you saw me totally flump out there, huh?" He sat back down.

For a moment, May didn't say anything before offering him a sad smile with a nod of her head, sitting down beside him.

"...It was my fault," he started, putting a hand on Charmander's head. "I knew that Charmander was having a hard time learning that Flame Burst attack, but I made him use it anyways..." He shook his head. "I feel awful."

May watched Charmander for a moment before closing her eyes, smiling. "Losing hurts." She looked at him. "I heard this was your first contest, too."

Briar's shoulder's tensed. "I..." He nodded. "Yeah..." He stayed silent before letting out a huff and averting his gaze. "Maybe I should just quit while I'm ahead and become a Pokemon Trainer after all."

She blinked, glancing at him. "Hm?"

Briar shrugged, his eyes focused on the ground. "My parents and my friends have always talked about me becoming a Pokemon Trainer... and for a long time, even  _ I _ thought that was what I wanted." He gripped at the fabric of his pants. "But after seeing my first Pokemon Contest I thought, I dunno..." He shook his head. "… I thought it looked fun. Like I could make something of my own, the same way the coordinators I saw did." He tensed his shoulders, the sting returning to his eyes. "But now I know how dumb it was to think something like that."

"That certainly sounds familiar."

Briar blinked in surprise, lifting his head to look at her. "Huh?"

May sighed with a smile. "My Dad was a Gym Leader, so when I turned 10, I was expected to become a trainer, too," she said, letting out a small laugh as she scratched her nose. "I didn't even like Pokemon." She leaned back against the wall, looking up to the ceiling. "...But then I saw my first contest, and suddenly the only thing I could find myself thinking about was how fun it would be to perform side-by-side with my Pokemon." She sighed, closing her eyes. "And when I lost my first contest, I wanted to just give up. But my Beautifly had worked so hard out there—giving up wouldn't be fair to it."

Briar glanced toward Charmander, and May seemed to notice this as she reached out and gently pet the Pokemon atop the head. "You know, Charmander looked like it was having a lot of fun out there. I think it was born to be on stage." Charmander let out a content sigh, and May glanced at Briar. "Don't you think that if you gave up now, it would be unfair to him?"

Briar looked at the Pokemon in front him, taken back. He reached out a hand to gently pet him. "Maybe," he started, casting his gaze to the floor once more. "But even if Charmander was born to be on stage, I was the one who totally blew it for us. We lost because of _ me _ ." He huffed. "I'm the one who's not cut out for this."

"Losing isn't a failure, Briar. It's a lesson," May said.

Briar looked at her in confusion. "A lesson?"

"Sure," she began with a shrug. "Losing is a lesson in humility. I mean, if you always won everything, your head would get too big, and it would block out what's important: you and your Pokemon's relationship." She closed her eyes. "When you're humble, you're able to look inside yourself and do what's best for your Pokemon. When you're prideful, you only do what's best for you."

Briar paused, looking back to Charmander. He had pushed his Pokemon to use a move he knew wasn't ready because of his own selfish desire to win. In the heat of the spotlight his vision became blurred, Charmander fading away as the lights of the clicking clock blinded him. Charmander's feelings were forgotten, as was why he started contests altogether.

"Nobody's perfect the first time they try something, but the more you try, the better you'll become. Acknowledge your wrongs to move forward, and accept your losses as a starting point to grow." May held up a finger. "Win or lose, every contest you enter is going to be a learning opportunity for both you and your Pokemon. After all, a coordinator is a full time student." She winked at him. "So study hard."

Briar blinked a few times before exchanging glances with Charmander. He let out a huff with a smile and nodded at him. But suddenly, he felt a vibration from his pants pocket, followed by a loud ring. He let out a gasp and jumped in surprise before realizing it was his Pokegear going off.

"Uh, sorry," Briar apologized. Sliding his hand into his pocket, he retrieved his Pokegear and looked at the contact information on the screen. He raised his brows in surprise, recognizing the Ketchum home phone number. He closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. "…It's probably just Skye."

"…You should take it," May said, rising to her feet.

Briar blinked in surprise and lifted his head to look at her. "Huh?"

May slung her bag over her shoulder. "As a coordinator, your friends are going to be your greatest support system and your biggest fans. Whether you lose or win, your friends are going to be there, cheering you on. Talk to her and you'll see."

Briar stared in surprise before shifting his gaze from her to his Pokegear. He then looked back at her with a nod. "Thank you."

May smiled and offered him a small wave. "I'll be rooting for you from Hoenn. Good luck, Briar." She then turned on her heel and went out the door.

Briar blinked a few times before letting out a huff and cracking a smile. Pressing a button on the touchscreen to answer the call, Briar lifted his Pokegear to his ear. "Hello?"

" _ What a bad call! _ " Skye's voice boomed angrily from the speaker. " _ You should totally be battling in the second round right now, kicking everyone's butts! _ "

Briar flinched before cringing, pulling the Pokegear away from his ear. "Skye—!"

" _ Those judges wouldn't know talent if hit them over the head! _ " she ranted. " _ I mean, didn't they see how cool that Flame Burst looked when it hit the ground? It ran circles around that dumb Bubble appeal! Talk about boring! I should come to Pewter and knock some sense into those guys myself! _ "

"Skye!" Briar started, pressing the Pokegear back to his ear. "It's okay! Really!"

" _ Your appeal was exciting and—! _ " She paused. " _ Eh? No! It's not okay at all! _ "

Briar frowned. "Yeah, it is!" He sighed, sitting back. "I messed up today—real bad. Flame Burst may have looked cool to you but… it wasn't what I was going for at all." He glanced down at the sketch pad beside him before flicking his eyes towards his Pokemon. "The judges gave me a fair score." He pet Charmander atop the head. "And because it was a low one, it gives us more reason to train harder and do better next time. With a little more practice, we'll totally blow them away."

For a moment, Skye didn't respond—as if she was thinking something over. But then Briar heard her let out an exasperated sigh. " _ Jeeze, I thought you'd be a total mess! _ "

He laughed. "Well, honestly, I  _ was _ kinda bummed out before. But..." He glanced down. "…I sort of realized that losing is kind of a learning process, you know? Everyone makes mistakes, and nobody's perfect the first time they try something." He looked to the ceiling. "But if I can keep up my training and work on the mistakes that I made, then I'll get better and better. So for now, the best thing I can do is step forward and keep trying."

There was a short pause before Skye spoke up again. " _...I guess so, _ " she drawled, but then Briar noticed her voice seemed to perk up as she said, " _ Well, low score or not, I thought you were super cool! Even if it didn't come out the way you wanted it to, Charmander's Flame Burst attack looked really strong! And, I mean, getting up and performing in front of all those people by yourself? That alone takes a lot of guts! You and Charmander should both be really proud! _ "

Briar blinked. "What? You think so?

" _ Of course! _ " Skye responded. " _ And hey, if you say that losing is a lesson, then I know you're just gonna keep learning and getting better and better! Trust me, you'll be a Top Coordinator in no time! _ "

Briar let out a low laugh. "You're really saying I can be a Top Coordinator after such a disaster?"

" _ Definitely! One little slip-up is no big deal! Even the best Pokemon Trainers in the world make mistakes sometimes, but they still go on to be Pokemon Masters! You're no different from them!"  _ She explained. " _ Besides, you pinkie promised! _ "

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Briar commented with a feigned sigh of defeat. "There's nothing that can break that."

" _ That's right!" _ Skye declared.  _ "And with me cheering you on, you'll be fine! I know you're gonna make it all the way to the top, because there's nothing that can stop future Top Coordinator, Briar Oak!" _

Briar felt a smile twitch at his lips. "Right." He looked down at Charmander, his smile growing.

The heavy feeling in his chest had lifted during his phone conversation with Skye. It was as if the flame inside of him had gone damp and she helped kindle it back into an ember.

An image flashed in his mind of the Crimson Hoenn Ranger on the ground, ready to give up as the rain fell over him. But suddenly a hand came from above, and he looked up to see the face of one of his fellow rangers. Taking her hand, she helped him rise to his feet, the sky beginning to clear.

May had been right.

"… Hey, Skye?"

" _ Yeah? _ "

"…Thank you."

* * *

**_April 2nd, 2034. Late Afternoon. Viridian City, Kanto._ **

" _ Ladies and gentlemen, we have just one minute remaining on the clock in the final battle round of this Viridian City Pokemon Contest! Things aren't looking too good for Briar and his Charmeleon, as Alex and his Marowak have total control of the stage! What will they do now? _ "

Briar felt his shoulders tense as the voice of Jillian Meridian rang in his ears, giving him a painful reminder of just how little time he had left to pull things back together. He was down to nearly a fourth of his points, while his opponent still had close to half—and with Charmeleon becoming tired from taking hit after hit, things were starting to become rough.

"Bone Club, Marowak!" Alex called from across the stage.

Before Briar could even get the chance to call for a counterattack, Marowak swiftly moved in on Charmeleon, ramming the head of the bone it held between its hands directly into its opponent's stomach. Charmeleon let out a cry of pain and stumbled backward, pressing his knuckles against the ground in order to maintain its balance.

Briar gritted his teeth, feeling small beads of sweat begin to crawl down the back of his neck as he saw a portion of his points drop on the board.

" _ Seeing Marowak show off its raw power and strength using that Bone Club is really taking a toll on Briar's points! _ " Jillian said as Charmeleon managed to rise to his feet once more. _ "Charmeleon is looking pretty tired, but it keeps getting right back up! Talk about determination! _ "

The audience's excitement was reaching its peak as the numbers on the battle timer continued to fall. Some people were standing up, cheering loudly and waving glow sticks in the air of the dimly lit bleachers.

Skye, however, stayed glued to her seat—watching on apprehensively as Marowak moved in on Charmeleon with yet another Bone Club attack. She tensed as Charmeleon was able to narrowly dodge the hit, causing Alex to suffer a minor point loss. But it wasn't enough to be in the clear yet, and Skye could tell that Charmeleon was starting to become run-down. Worse yet, she was getting the feeling that Briar was losing focus—likely distracted by the rapidly moving timer.

Squirtle, who was seated beside his trainer, looked up at her with a worried gaze as she clenched her fists in her lap.

"C'mon, Briar," Skye scowled, furrowing her brows in frustration. "Get it together…"

" _ We're down to 45 seconds, everyone! With Briar only having less than a fourth of his points left, it looks like this battle might be over soon! He's going to need to make a major comeback! _ "

Briar pursed his lips. He was running out of options, and Charmeleon's growing exhaustion was clear to him as he watched it breathe heavily with slumped shoulders. Gritting his teeth, Briar cast his gaze towards the ground. With Charmeleon slowing down and its attacks weakening, there didn't seem to be any possible way to get an edge on Marowak. The lines before him on the canvas of the stage were tangled and unclear, the picture lost.

But upon returning his gaze to his Pokemon, Briar noticed that Charmeleon had turned its head to look back at him. There was a flame burning in his eyes—one that said he wasn't ready to stop this fight just yet. Briar paused, his eyes locked onto Charmeleon's. He could tell with ease that Charmeleon still wanted this ribbon just as badly as he did. They couldn't give up. The countdown of the timer blurred away, and a single black line painted itself over the stage from where Charmeleon stood.

Briar offered Charmeleon a confident smile, the line exploding into color. A moment later, he heard Alex call out, "Marowak, use your Ice Beam attack!" from across the stage.

Quickly snapping back into the battle, Briar flicked his eyes towards Marowak, who was just beginning to fire a shining, blue Ice Beam from his mouth. In an instant, Briar knew exactly how to counterattack.

"Flamethrower, Charmeleon!" he ordered, pointing forward.

Charmeleon didn't hesitate for a moment as he shot a stream of flames from his mouth—evenly colliding with the opposing Marowak's Ice Beam. The collision of the two attacks erupted into a thick, white steam that veiled the entire stage.

" _ Wow! Briar countered that chilling Ice Beam with a heated Flamethrower attack! _ " Jillian exclaimed, looking around the stage. _ "The combination of fire and ice has the whole stage covered in a beautiful mist! _ "

The crowd let out an excited cheer as a good portion of Alex's points fell on the board.

"All right, Briar!" Skye pumped her fist into the air and rising to her feet. "What a score!"

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cheered from beside her, jumping up and down in his seat.

Briar squinted, narrowing his focus on Charmeleon, whose silhouette he could just barely make out through the steam. With only 30 seconds left on the clock, he didn't have much time to think over his decision of what to do next, and clearly his opponent knew that as well when he called, "Marowak, Double Team!"

Marowak obeyed his trainer's order and swiftly began circling around Charmeleon, creating several replicas of itself throughout the mist. Charmeleon looked between all of the doppelgangers, attempting to find the original.

Briar's gaze shifted quickly around the stage. The steam had made it difficult enough to see, but Marowak had managed to hide itself even further through its copies. His opponent's clever usage of stage's conditions caused Briar's points to suffer. He knew he didn't have the time for Charmeleon to strike every single look-alike. Clenching his fist, he darted his eyes upward, and suddenly, in his mind, a burst of light shone brightly.

"Charmeleon, aim your Flame Burst attack up into the air!" Briar called out to his Pokemon.

"Char?" Charmeleon turned his head in the direction of his trainer's voice before realizing what he was getting at. Cracking a small smirk, Charmeleon tilted his head up towards the ceiling and fired the flaming ball out of its mouth.

"Marowak, use Rock Slide to stop it!" Alex called.

But before Marowak got the chance to attack, Charmeleon's fire ball burst, sending long streams of fire shooting throughout the mist like fireworks, striking all of the fakes and landing a direct hit onto the real Marowak, revealing its location as it let out a cry of pain. Embers drizzled over the stage, glowing red through the smoke.

" _ Charmeleon's beautiful Flame Burst attack has lit up the fog, and landed a direct hit on the real Marowak! That's going to cost Alex some serious points! _ "

Briar smirked. "Bingo," he murmured to himself, before pointing at Marowak through the clearing steam. "All right Charmeleon, Flamethrower!"

"Repel it using your Bone Club, Marowak!"

Charmeleon inhaled before releasing a blast of fire Marowak's way. Marowak attempted to block the move best he could by holding up his bone as a shield, but Flamethrower proved to be too powerful and sent it reeling back instead.

"Yes!" Briar grinned, pulling his fist back as Alex's points became even with his own.

" _ What a comeback! _ " Jillian exclaimed. " _ After using the stage to his advantage, Briar has managed to even out the board! With just 15 seconds left, this is anyone's match! _ "

Alex gritted his teeth in frustration before pushing his fist forward. "Marowak, get it together and try Rock Slide, one more time!"

"I don't think so!" Briar countered, furrowing his brows together. "Shadow Claw, Charmeleon!"

"Char!" Charmeleon cried in agreement, his right hand beginning to glow in a purple light. Long, dark claws extended from the glowing aura as Charmeleon began to charge across the stage towards his opponent.

Marowak fired several rocks towards Charmeleon, but Charmeleon was quick to dodge past them—slicing through whatever rocks he could with the usage of Shadow Claw. He quickly zoned in on Marowak, and once Briar could tell that his Pokemon was within close enough range, he punched his fist forward.

"Go for the power-up! Hidden Power!"

Bringing his hands just a few inches apart from each other, Charmeleon formed a blue ball of energy between them—Shadow Claw remaining in effect. Once he was mere feet away from Marowak, Charmeleon jumped into the air, avoiding the final rocks heading his way. Upon his descent, he shoved the ball of energy he held between his hands into Marowak's face, the power of Shadow Claw adding onto the impact. Briar watched with focused eyes, the impact leaving a still black and white image in his mind, as if live from a manga.

Just as Charmeleon landed the hit, there was a loud "ding," signaling that the time had run out. Both Pokemon were quick to jump back towards their trainers, shaken and breathing heavily. Marowak took a knee, exhausted from the previous hit it had taken.

" _ And that marks the end of our battle! _ " Jillian said, spinning to face the scoreboard. " _ Now let's see what our judges thought of Briar and Alex! _ "

Briar felt his shoulders stiffen as he quickly looked towards the board. But before he even got the chance to get a look at the points for himself, Jillian's voice returned from the speakers " _ And it appears as if our Viridian City Contest winners are Briar Oak and his Charmeleon! _ "

Briar stared wordlessly for a moment before his face lit up as the spotlight shined down on him and Charmeleon. Bits of colored paper rained over the stage, the crowd roaring in applause as they waved their glow sticks in the dark.

Charmeleon looked back at his trainer, his flame growing in excitement. Briar bent down to it and put a hand on top of his head, his eyes shining in pride.

"Thanks for the hard work, pal."

"He did it!" Skye cheered from her seat, throwing her fists into the air as Squirtle jumped up and down in celebration. "Go, go, Briar!" she yelled, stomping her foot loudly against the seats in front of her, getting some odd looks from the people surrounding her in the process.

"Congratulations, Briar."

Briar paused and rose to his feet, turning to see Roland Contesta approaching him. He immediately straightened himself out, and Roland smiled.

"It is my pleasure to award you with the Viridian Ribbon." He held out his hand, a green ribbon in his palm. "I expect a bright contest season from you."

Briar took the ribbon and looked down at it in awe. "Thank you, sir." He showed the ribbon to Charmeleon, who beamed up at him. Their hard work following the Hoenn Grand Festival had paid off—and now they were a step ahead with their first ribbon obtained.

Unable to contain his enthusiasm any longer, Briar pumped his fist forward, holding out his new ribbon for the audience to see.

"Mission success!"

* * *

Briar took a step out of the contest hall, the setting sun casting a shadow over the building. He pinned his new ribbon into his ribbon case, the gold center shining bright in the sun. Lifting his head from his case, Briar looked around as if something was missing. Letting out a sigh, he slipped a hand into his pocket.

"Well, it looks like Skye really did decide to take off, after all." He looked down at Charmeleon, who tilted his head. "Guess I shouldn't be too surprised, though." Glancing around one last time, he closed his eyes and shrugged. "Ah, well. Let's just head to the Pokemon Center for the night and get something to—!"

But before he was even given the chance to finish his sentence, he felt a painful impact to the back of his head. He stumbled forward, but managed to catch his balance. Groaning, Briar rubbed the back of his head in pain.

"What the—!?" he winced, glancing down to see what exactly it was that hit him so hard. When he looked to the ground he noticed Charmeleon gently poking at a soccer ball rolling on the pavement. Briar raised an eyebrow, bending over and picking it up so he could examine it more closely.

" _ Hey _ !" a voice called from behind.

Briar blinked and turned around to see none other than Skylar Ketchum approaching him angrily, Squirtle in tow.

"Skye!" Briar said in surprise.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Skye spat as she approached, pointing a finger at him. "I was looking all over for you! You can't just ditch me!"

Briar huffed angrily, shoving the soccer ball back into her hands. " _ You _ can't just hit someone in the head like that! It's dangerous!" He scrunched his face in confusion. _ " _ And what are you talking about?  _ I _ was looking for  _ you _ ! But when I couldn't find you, I figured that you had already bolted out of there so you could run off to get your next gym badge."

Skye scowled, gripping the ball. "Eh? Of course not!" She smiled, pounding a fist to her chest. "It's not every day you score the winning goal at a contest! I wasn't gonna just take off without congratulating you first!"

Briar crossed his arms, raising a brow in amusement. "Is that so?"

" _ Duh, _ " she drawled, sliding her backpack off of her shoulder and crouching down so that she could shove the soccer ball back inside. "But, I have to admit, I  _ was _ pretty worried for a minute back there." She grinned up at him, rising to her feet. "But you made a total comeback! Using Flame Burst to counter that Double Team was pretty clever. But that final combination you pulled off?" She ruffled her hair. "Wow! What a total score!"

Briar let out a small laugh. "Thanks." He crossed his arms. "Truthfully, I was pretty worried myself. I was starting to lose my focus toward the end, there." He glanced at Charmeleon. "But I really have Charmeleon to thank for being able to pull us through when things got tough."

Charmeleon furrowed his brows. "Char!"

Skye looked at Charmeleon, offering him a thumbs-up. "Yeah, you looked really strong out there, Charmeleon. Nice work!" Charmeleon turned his head away, but Skye took no noticed as she focused back on Briar. "And now you're one ribbon closer to entering the Kanto Grand Festival."

Briar smiled confidently, looking to Charmeleon. "Yeah—that's our next page." He inhaled, imagining the main stage of the Grand Festival—but the image faded at Skye standing in front of him, and he turned to her. "What about you?"

Skye blinked a few times in surprise before glancing away, unamused as she scratched her nose. "Well, with the Gym closed down, I guess I need to make a new game plan…"

Briar slid his hands into his pockets, raising a brow. "A new game plan, huh?" He glanced up, thinking it over. "Well, the gym in Pewter City isn't too far from here. It's just north of the Viridian Forest." He looked at her with a shrug. "It's a few days walk, but nothing too bad. Why don't you go there?"

Skye perked up. "Pewter City?" She broke into a grin. "That means I'd get to battle Forrest! "

"Forrest?"

"Yeah!" Skye beamed. "You know my Dad's friend Brock, don't you? The Pokemon Doctor? Well, his younger brother's name is Forrest, and he's the Gym Leader in Pewter City!" She then looked down at Squirtle with a grin. "Hey, you know, Brock lives right around there, too. Maybe we should pay him a visit while we're stopping by." She clenched her fist. "The world's best Pokemon food will totally pump you up!"

Squirtle blinked a few times before lighting up. "Squirtle! Squirt!"

"Well then, I guess you have your next destination decided," Briar said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah!" Skye punched her fist forward. "Pewter City, watch out!" Then she blinked, turning her head to Briar. "And… where will  _ you _ go now?"

"Well..." Briar started, glancing up in thought. "There's a contest being held in Cerulean City a few weeks from now. So, I guess I'll be heading north, too," he explained.

"You're going to Cerulean City?" Skye asked excitedly. "Hey, my Aunt Daisy runs the gym there, you know!"

Briar blinked. "Ah, that's right—I forgot you have family up there." He scratched his cheek. "So then, I guess that means you'll eventually be heading that way too for a gym badge, huh?"

"You bet!" She paused for a moment before smiling. "I know! Why don't we go together?"

Briar raised a brow. "What?"

"Pewter City is on the way to Cerulean, isn't it?" Skye began. "We'll stop there first so I can get my badge, and then you and I can head to Cerulean together! I'll get my second badge there, and you'll get your second contest ribbon, too!"

Briar furrowed his brows. "But… that's kind of a long way to go together, isn't it? Cerulean isn't exactly close—it's not the same as walking from your house to mine, you know. That's gonna take at least a few weeks."

Skye narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "Are you trying to shake me off?" She quickly dismissed him, smiling. "Come on, it'll be fun! We could even do some training together on the way! And then when we get there, we'll totally take down Cerulean together!" She stayed quiet for a moment before a confident smile took over. "…We could even take down all of  _ Kanto _ together!"

"All of Kanto?"

Skye closed her eyes, holding up a finger. "My Dad always said that what made  _ his _ Pokemon journey worthwhile were the friends he traveled with and the adventures he had with them!" She flashed him a smile. "So, what if you and I fight our way through Kanto together? We can meet all kinds of Pokemon, and have adventures of our own! We'll make Pallet Town proud, as a team! Team Pallet!" She held out a fist to him. "What do you say?"

Briar paused. For the past two years, he had been traveling on his own. He had his Pokemon, sure, but very rarely did he have others to share his excitement or anger or sadness with. He would light up when he felt his Pokegear vibrate in his pocket, finding a message from Skye. He would call her after every contest, after every newly caught Pokemon, always telling her about everything he saw on his journey. 

It was almost as if Skye was right beside him, like they were sharing this adventure together. But they weren't, and he would always remember that as he watched reruns of the Hoenn Rangers on Pokemon Center TVs. He would feel envy for the friendships they shared as they faced their challenges and victories together.

And now his own team partner was standing right in front of him.

Taking a deep breath, Briar smiled. "All right," he agreed, clenching his fist and bumping it against hers. "Let's fight together, then."

Skye grinned from ear to ear. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear!" she said, pounding her fist to her chest. "And now that I'll be your new coach, don't think I'm going to let you slack for even a second on your training! I've gotta make sure that you keep our promise and become a Top Coordinator in no time! So don't let me down!"

"My coach?" Briar repeated flatly. "I think you have that backwards." He closed his eyes. "You're the one who needs to be taken care of."

"I do not!" Skye snapped, crossing her arms. "I can take care of myself!"

"If I had a dollar for every time you said something like that, I'd be able to buy the limited edition Littleroot Crimson Ranger figu—!"

"Hey, hey! That reminds me!" Skye interrupted, holding out a hand to him. "I want my money back."

"What?" Briar said, shocked. "You're still on about that? What happened to letting go of my debt if I won the contest?"

"I said I would  _ consider _ letting go of your debt," Skye corrected, not backing down. "Now pay up."

Briar scoffed. "Man, you really  _ are _ cheap," he grumbled, taking out his wallet. But just as he did so, he noticed Squirtle watching Skye with a bright smile, and a thought struck him. "…You know what?" He closed his wallet. "The money can wait."

"What?!" Skye said angrily, placing her hands on her hips. "Hey! Are you trying to rip me off?!"

"No. I'll pay you back," Briar said, looking at her. "Once you become a Pokemon Master."

Skye faltered. "Huh?"

"If you're going to be pushing me to become a Top Coordinator, then I have to make sure that  _ you _ aren't slacking either. We both have to keep the promise we made, after all." He held up his wallet with a smile. "So you'll get your money back, but not until you're sitting in that Champion seat."

Skye furrowed her brows together, glancing between Briar and the wallet. But a few seconds later, she cracked a confident smile. "Alright, then you'd better start saving your money now, because I'm not going to waste a single second lazing around." She turned on her heel and began running down the street, Squirtle following close behind. "Get ready, Pewter City! Team Pallet is coming to turn you upside-down!"

Briar blinked, watching her go before looking at Charmeleon. He let out a sigh before a smile took over, turning to chase Skye.

"Wait up!"

His sketchbook lay open in his bag, the last page showing two heroes looking out into the sun over a cliff. Their Pokemon stood by their sides, an arrow pointing off the page with an exclamation point drawn in bright red.

' _ To be continued!'  _ was written in black at the bottom, the pages after blank and limitless.

* * *

… _ And the journey continues! _


	3. Rough Draft

**_April 1st, 2034. Morning. Hearthome City, Sinnoh._ **

_Uncertainty spilled from Arima's fingertips as they slid over the wooden frame of the shrine. It was familiar, like she had seen it in a distant dream. The red paint was peeled and faded, the carving of a figure she had never seen before standing atop the shrine._

_It stared at her as if it were alive._

_Swallowing down the butterflies in her stomach, Arima pressed her hands together and bent her head down. Her heart began to flutter, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up straight._

" _It's okay."_

_She tensed. The voice was in her head, in her heart. Arima knew if she opened her eyes, only the shrine would be in front of her._

" _You don't have to keep your promise."_

_Her eyes swelled with hot tears, almost forgetting everything._

" _Go on without me."_

_The shrine began to glow, and Arima opened her eyes, the light warm as it swallowed her. Everything went blank, and suddenly—_

"Oh, you're awake!"

Lizzie's hand stopped as she was flipping the page of her book, scrunching her nose in frustration at the disruptive noise. Lifting her head, she saw Dawn standing in the kitchen doorway, her hair messily pulled back into a bun.

Lizzie let out a sigh before looking fully at her mother. "I've been up for a while now," she said simply, placing a bookmark between the open pages. There was no use attempting to read further.

"What?" Dawn looked alarmed as she checked the clock on the stove. "But it's only eight!" she exclaimed, concern painting her face as she crossed her arms. "What time have you been up since? You did get some sleep, right?"

Lizzie closed her eyes. "A little, yes."

" _A little?"_

"I'm fine," Lizzie assured, dropping the conversation.

Dissatisfied, Dawn looked Lizzie over. She had faded black smudges under her eyes, her skin pale, and her eyes glossy. Seeing no use to pry further, Dawn inhaled. "Well, alright." Shifting her mood, she walked over to the fridge and began rummaging through for some eggs and juice. Glancing back at Lizzie, Dawn nodded her head towards the book laid on the table and offered a smile. "Hey, that's the new book you got yesterday, isn't it?"

Lizzie glanced down at the novel and nodded. "Yes—I'm halfway through."

"What? Already?" Dawn raised her eyebrows in surprise before letting out a light laugh. "Well, I guess that _does_ sound like you," she commented, turning back to the counter as she retrieved a glass bowl from the cabinets. "Shauntal Anise, right?"

Lizzie nodded in response, and Dawn smiled, pushing the conversation forward.

"Is this book as good as her others?"

"This is the first time she's written a series," Lizzie responded, picking the book up and looking the cover over before carefully placing it back down. "As always, she exceeds my expectations."

Dawn smiled as she watched Lizzie from the corner of her eye. "Well, I'm glad to hear that." Cracking an egg on the rim of her bowl, she blinked in remembrance. "Shauntal is a member of the Elite Four, isn't she?"

"That's right—in Unova." Lizzie folded her arms on the table. "She's a ghost-type specialist."

Dawn perked up. "Unova?" Smiling, she turned to face Lizzie fully. "Hey, you know," she started, picking up her whisk. "I talk to Iris from time to time. She's the Unova League Champion, which means that she has connections with the Elite Four there! Maybe I could give her a call and—"

"—There's no need," Lizzie said quickly, cutting her off.

Dawn tilted her head, taken back. "Huh? Why no—"

"Pip!"

Raising an eyebrow, Lizzie glanced behind her. "I thought this morning seemed too quiet."

Dawn looked over to see Piplup making his entrance. "Ah, Piplup!" Putting her hands on her hips, she teased, "I see you've finally crawled out of bed, lazy bones."

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Piplup groggily waddled over to the kitchen table, bitter at having to wake up so early. Lizzie watched him as he climbed into a chair, lifting her teacup right before he slammed his fin against the table top, shaking the surface lightly.

"Lup! Piplup!" he demanded angrily, shooting a look at Dawn.

"Jeeze, Piplup! Hold your Horseas!" Dawn scolded, opening the fridge. "There's no need to be such a grump!" Piplup ignored her, his face lit up as she uncovered a plate of poffins. Coming to the table, Dawn looked unimpressed, holding the plate away.

"Now ask _nicely_."

Piplup glared at her, but Dawn didn't budge. Closing his eyes, he stayed stubborn for another moment before begrudgingly holding out a fin. "Piplup."

Sighing, Dawn let a small smile escape. "Close enough." She set the plate down in front of Piplup, who began messily devouring the poffins in an instant. Dawn watched him before turning back to Lizzie. "I can't believe that you're leaving home today," she said, clasping her hands together with a smile. "Are you excited to pick out your first Pokemon?"

Lizzie was glancing at Piplup, sliding her book away from the crumbs fluttering over the table and slipping it into the safety of her bag. "…I am," she said, placing her teacup back down. "I've been preparing for this day."

"Oh?" Dawn's smile grew. "Then does that mean you know which Pokemon you'll be picking?"

Lizzie flicked her gaze to Dawn. "I've known for a while now."

"Really?" Dawn asked, her surprise melting into excitement. "Which one is it, then?"

Piplup eyed Lizzie skeptically, narrowing his gaze as he shoved another poffin into his beak.

"It's a surprise."

Dawn raised an eyebrow. "A surprise?" Her face deadpanned as she held up a finger. "Hey, you shouldn't be keeping secrets from your own mother, you know!"

Lizzie rose from her chair, slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder. "I won't get the Pokemon I want if I stay here and tell you all about it."

Dawn furrowed her brows. "What? You're leaving already _?"_ she asked with a frown. "But it's still early, and you haven't even eaten breakfast yet!"

"I want to beat the other trainers to the lab," Lizzie replied simply, walking over to the front door and slipping on her boots. "I'm not hungry, anyways."

Dawn watched her from the kitchen with a firm stare, her hands on her hips as she tried to process what was in front of her. Lizzie was leaving through that door no matter what Dawn said or did.

"…Now hold it!" Dawn snapped, causing Lizzie to look over in alarm. "I'm not about to let you leave on an empty stomach!" Going over to the counter, she picked up a basket with a light pink bow tied around the handle. Walking back to Lizzie, she held it out to her. "I made these for Professor Damon," she explained. "But I want _you_ to eat one on your way over to the lab, all right?"

Lizzie said nothing and stared at the basket, her hand on the frame of the door. After a moment, she took the handle carefully from Dawn before pushing the door open. "I will."

Dawn narrowed her eyes, unconvinced. "Do you promise _?_ "

"I promise," Lizzie assured her, and Dawn relaxed her shoulders. Taking a step forward, she suddenly paused, her hand still on the doorframe.

"…Where's Dad?"

"Your Dad?" Dawn repeated, glancing down at Piplup as he waddled over to them. "Oh, he's been out training by Lake Valor all weekend." Lifting her head, she offered Lizzie a smile. "But, no need to worry! He told me that he would make it to see you off." She tilted her head. "I'm sure he'll be here by the time you get back!"

Lizzie kept her eyes ahead and gripped the doorframe a little tighter. Inhaling, she straightened herself out and nodded. Dawn exchanged glances with Piplup and frowned.

"I'm off, then."

And then she was out the door, a light fog beginning to swallow the city.

* * *

The gates to the laboratory opened with ease as Lizzie walked through. Making her way to the front door, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand to dust off the stray crumbs on her lips. Custap berry muffins—they were Lucas's favorite, and Dawn knew that they were Lizzie's favorite as well.

Standing up straight upon reaching the door, she pressed the doorbell as she glanced around the laboratory grounds. A cherry blossom tree stood in the center of the yard, lightly dotting the grass in pink petals.

" _Coming!_ " called a muffled voice from inside the walls of the lab.

A moment later, the door opened, and Professor Lucas Damon stood before her, straightening out his long, white lab coat.

He raised his eyebrows, looking down at her. "Oh, Lizzie!" he said, a tone of surprise to his voice. "You're here early!"

Lizzie blinked, looking up at him with a tilt of her head. "Is it an inconvenience?"

Lucas straightened out before laughing lightly. "Ah, no, not at all," he dismissed with a wave of his hand. "I just wasn't expecting any trainers yet. You surprised me, that's all." He offered her a smile and stepped aside for her. "Please, come inside."

Lizzie bowed her head a bit. "Thank you," she said before standing up straight and entering the laboratory.

As she stepped inside, Lizzie looked around the interior of the lab. With Lucas being an old family friend, Lizzie had frequently visited the laboratory throughout the course of her childhood. Not much had changed over the years-it was tidy, as always. But without Barry and Lucas's usual lab assistants running around everywhere, it felt quieter than normal.

"Jeeze," Lucas sighed, smiling as he closed the door behind them. "I can't believe that I'm actually about to give you your first Pokemon." He laughed sheepishly as Lizzie turned to look at him. "I still remember holding you in my arms as a baby—has it really been 10 years already?" He moped a bit, rubbing the back of his head. "Maybe I'm starting to get older than I thought." However, his train of thought was broken upon spotting the basket Lizzie held in her hands. "You… brought muffins," he noted.

Lizzie had been watching Lucas with a small smile before snapping from her thoughts to look down at the basket. "Oh." She held it out for him. "My Mom made them. She asked me to bring them to you," she explained.

"Your Mom did?" Lucas asked, smiling as he took the basket. "Ah, she didn't have to do that." He let out a sigh as he examined the basket. "Leave it to her to be thinking of me." Picking up a muffin, his smile grew upon noticing that they were his favorite. After inhaling the scent, he quickly shook the thought away. "But enough of that," he said suddenly, placing the basket on the table behind him. "Why don't I introduce you to the Pokemon?"

Lizzie's interest perked, and she smiled a bit. "Please."

"Right this way," Lucas said with a gesture of his hand, leading Lizzie down the hall and into a backroom. "I'm sure that the Pokemon are all eager to meet you," he said, opening the door and stepping inside. "After all, they're just as excited for today as all of you trainers are!"

Lizzie stepped into the room as well, while Lucas approached a cabinet on the wall. He carefully unlocked and opened the cabinet's small glass door, reaching inside and picking up the three Poke Balls that were placed there. She said nothing as she watched him manage the Poke Balls, her eyes not leaving them.

Lucas turned to her, flashing a smile. "Alright, here we go!" he said, and Lizzie felt her breath catch just the slightest as her heart raced a little faster in excitement.

Taking a step in front of her, Lucas held up the first Poke Ball. "First up, we have Piplup, the water-type."

The Poke Ball opened, and a Piplup emerged from the white light, standing on the floor. Upon being released from his ball, he ruffled his feathers and looked up at Lizzie with a smile. "Pip!" it said cheerfully. Lizzie noted it looked much kinder than a certain other Piplup she knew.

As soon as Piplup was settled, Lucas smiled and raised the second Poke Ball. "Next is Chimchar, the fire-type."

The second Poke Ball opened, and Chimchar burst from the light a moment later immediately bouncing up and down in excitement. "Chimchar!" he exclaimed, lifting his arms into the air. Lizzie studied his actions carefully as she gripped at the bottom of her sweater.

"And lastly," Lucas began, lifting the final Poke Ball in his hand. "Turtwig, the grass-type."

Turtwig's figure came out of the white light as the Poke Ball opened. He blinked his eyes sleepily a few times, as if being awoken from a long nap. He turned his gaze upwards and looked at Lizzie curiously. "Tur," it said, tilting its head to the side with a lazy smile.

Lucas turned to Lizzie with a smile. "So, which will it be?" he asked, nodding his head toward the three Pokemon on the floor.

Lizzie's gaze focused instantly on the Pokemon in the center. "I've already decided," she said without hesitation, taking a step toward the Pokemon. "I choose Chimchar."

Surprised, Chimchar blinked a few times, turning his head to look up at the girl standing before him. After a moment, his face lit up and he began up and jumping up and down eagerly. "Chim! Chimchar!"

Lucas paused, taken back. "Oh, Chimchar? Really?"

Lizzie looked to Lucas with a firm nod. "I made up my mind a long time ago," she stated, looking back to Chimchar. "Chimchar is the one I want."

Lucas huffed before smiling. "Ah, I see." He laughed a bit, scratching his nose nervously. "Though, I should warn you—this Chimchar has a tendency to be a little… rambunctious."

"It's nothing I can't handle," Lizzie dismissed shortly.

"I should have expected you to say that," Lucas said with a sigh before smiling. Picking up a Poke Ball from the table, he handed it to Lizzie. "Then this is Chimchar's Poke Ball. Be sure to take good care of it."

Lizzie took the Poke Ball and grasped it, imprinting it in her mind before looking to Chimchar. Chimchar smiled up at her, tilting his head.

"…Chimchar, I'm Lizzie," Lizzie began, crouching down to him. "And I'm going to be your new trainer."

Chimchar's eyes shined in wonder as he looked up at her before his face lit up and broke into a smile. "Chim!" he said with a nod.

Lizzie couldn't help but let a small smile show before lifting his Poke Ball. "We'll be partners from now on," she said, returning him. Looking at the Poke Ball, she rose to her feet, her smile growing.

Lucas beamed as he watched Lizzie, swelling with the memory of how he felt when he held his first Pokemon for the first time. He then took a deep breath, turning his focus back to the matter at hand. "Well then, now that that's taken care of, you're going to need a few more things," he said, snapping Lizzie's attention away from her Poke Ball.

Lucas grabbed a Pokedex off of the table and turned to her. "Your Mom tells me that you're going to be challenging the League in Kanto this year—is that correct?"

Lizzie's eyes flicked towards him, quiet for a moment. "…Yes, that's right."

"Well, in that case, you'll need this," Lucas stated, holding the Pokedex out for her. "This Pokedex has all of the data of Pokemon living in the Kanto region downloaded onto it." He offered her a smile. "I wanted to make sure you weren't going to a new place with the wrong information, after all."

Lizzie stared at the Pokedex, surprised that Lucas had thought so far ahead for her. Smiling, she carefully took it and lifted her head to him. "Thank you, Professor."

"Of course," Lucas said before pausing. "Oh!" Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out five shrunken Poke Balls. "And _these_ are your Poke Balls," he explained, placing them in her hand as he shot her a wink. "But I'm sure you know what those are for." Smiling, he furrowed his eyebrows. "And with that, you're all set to start your adventure!"

Lizzie took the Poke Balls, examining them in her hand before slipping them into her bag. She then turned her attention back to Lucas, bowing in gratitude. "Thank you for everything." Raising her head, she smiled up at him. "I'll be heading out, then."

"Alright," Lucas said with a nod. "Good luck in the Kanto region, Lizzie." He held up a finger, adding, "And remember—I'm just a phone call away if you need anything."

Inhaling, Lizzie stood up straight. "Yes, of course," she said with a nod before offering one last small smile, holding up a hand. "Until then."

Lucas offered a wave and Lizzie turned on her heel, walking through the door of the laboratory with Chimchar's Poke Ball grasped tightly in her grasp.

* * *

Dust filled the air in light puffs as Dawn swept the sidewalk in front of the boutique she ran. Piplup stood on his tip-toes, releasing a small stream of water into the flower pots carefully decorated around the shop's windows. Noticing a blur of purple in the glass's reflection, Piplup quickly perked up and looked over to see Lizzie approaching from down the street. He hopped off of the stoop where he was perched and excitedly waddled over to greet her.

"Pip!"

Lizzie stopped walking when she saw Piplup at her feet. Bending down, she gently put her hand atop his head. "Hello, Piplup."

"Piplup?" Dawn called when noticing her tiny Pokemon quickly walking away. "Hey, Piplup! Where are you—!" She paused, spotting Lizzie rise to her feet. "Ah, Lizzie!" A smile spreading across her face, she set her broom against the brick wall of her shop before making her way to Lizzie.

"How did it go?" Dawn asked as she approached. "You gave Professor Damon those muffins _and_ ate one, right?"

Lizzie noticed the skeptical look in her mother's eyes as she asked about the muffins. "I did," she assured, and the look Dawn had vanished, her smile returning. Reaching into her bag, Lizzie pulled out a Poke Ball. "And I was able to get the Pokemon I wanted, as well."

Dawn lit up at the sight of the Poke Ball in her daughter's hand. "Oh, wow!" she exclaimed. "You really have your own Pokemon!" She cracked a sly smile, adding, "So, are you going to tell me which one it is now _?_ "

Piplup eyed the Poke Ball suspiciously, bitter that the spotlight of attention was shifting from him.

"Since you asked," Lizzie said, opening the Poke Ball. "Come on out, Chimchar."

Emerging from the bright light, Chimchar lifted his arms in the air cheerfully. "Chimchar!"

Deadpanning, Piplup shuffled behind Dawn's leg, cautiously glaring down the unwelcome guest.

"A Chimchar…!" Dawn said in surprise, staring at the Chimp Pokemon in front of her for a moment before glancing at Lizzie with a smile. "You know, I had a feeling you might pick this one."

Lizzie flicked her eyes towards Dawn questioningly. "Oh?"

Dawn winked. "That's right—just call it a mother's intuition." Lizzie didn't appear impressed, but Dawn brushed her off and crouched down, scratching behind Chimchar's ear. "It's very nice to meet you, Chimchar."

Chimchar looked up at Dawn, his eyes sparking in excitement as he began to bounce up and down. "Chim!"

Giggling, Dawn put a hand to her mouth. "He certainly seems lively," she noted as Chimchar began to eagerly observe his new surroundings. "I'm sure he'll grow up to be strong."

"Of course," Lizzie said matter-of-factly. "I chose him, after all."

Dawn's laughter and affection towards Chimchar set off fireworks inside Piplup, becoming flustered and irritated as he puffed out his chest before storming over. Chimchar looked at him curiously as Piplup put a fin to his chest.

"Pip Piplup!"

Chimchar tilted his head, confused at the introduction. "Chim…?" He scanned Piplup over before suddenly bursting into laughter and whacking Piplup on the forehead.

"Lup!" Piplup cried, falling backwards. He held the newly formed bruise on his forehead, tears swelling at the corner of his eyes in anger as he tried to sit up.

Lizzie's eyes widened in surprise before she furrowed her brows disapprovingly. "Chimchar!"

Dawn's face fell, taken back. "A-ah! Piplup!" she said in alarm, scooping him up into her arms as she rose to her feet. "Are you okay?" she asked with a frown, examining his bruise.

Rubbing his head, Piplup glared daggers down at Chimchar. "Pip…!"

Chimchar looked up at him with a teasing grin. "Chimchar! Chimchar!" he taunted, pulling down an eyelid and sticking out his tongue. "Chim!"

His face turning red in anger, Piplup began flailing in Dawn's arms, flapping his fins aggressively. "Pip! Pip!"

Dawn stumbled back, closing an eye as she held him more firmly. "Piplup!"

"Piplup! Lup!" he fumed, breaking free from Dawn's arms and landing on the ground. As soon as Piplup was on his feet he swiftly turned to Chimchar, firing a Bubblebeam in his direction.

Chimchar laughed and hopped to the side, dodging the attack. He stuck his tongue out again and waved his hands tauntingly by his ears. "Chimchar!"

"Lup!" Piplup cried angrily as he began to march in Chimchar's direction—but not before Dawn caught him in her arms once more.

"Piplup!" Dawn scolded, shooting him a glare. "What are you _doing?_ " Piplup ignored his trainer and continued to struggle and shout furiously.

"That's enough, Chimchar!" Lizzie called firmly, holding out his Poke Ball. "Return!"

Chimchar turned away from Piplup in surprise to look at Lizzie before jumping away from the beam of light. "Chim chim!" he snickered devilishly.

Pursing her lips in frustration, Lizzie kept up her attempts at returning Chimchar to his Poke Ball. However, Chimchar only responded to every attempt by jumping away and laughing. Finally, the red light hit the small Pokemon and sent him back inside.

Sighing, Lizzie looked down at the Poke Ball with a frown before lifting her head to Dawn. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "Professor Damon warned me that he might be a bit of trouble…"

Dawn blinked and looked at her daughter. Piplup had calmed down in her arms, but he still moped in his bitterness. "Hey, it's no big deal," Dawn assured with a smile. "Sometimes having a new Pokemon can just be a bit difficult, that's all." She looked down at Piplup, who eyed her in agitation at the implication. Laughing softly, she looked back to Lizzie. "But with some training, I'm sure you'll be the best of friends in no time!"

Lizzie said nothing and looked back down at the Poke Ball in her hand, furrowing her brows.

Dawn watched her carefully before perking up. "Oh, I almost forgot! I have something for you!" she said cheerfully, changing the topic. Setting Piplup down, she walked back over to the entrance of her boutique, picking up a box that was set down on the stone steps. Lizzie watched her wordlessly as Dawn returned, holding the box out to her. "Surprise!"

Taken back, Lizzie slipped Chimchar's Poke Ball into her bag before taking the box from Dawn. Getting on one knee, she opened it with care before pausing, her mouth gaping open just a bit. Collecting herself, Lizzie slowly lifted a blue dress from the box, looking it over quietly.

"…It's beautiful."

Dawn smiled softly at her in secret before Lizzie could lift her head. Perking up, she beamed at the dress. "I thought you might like it!" she chimed, holding up a finger. "I made it myself! I figured that if you're going on a new journey, then you're going to need a new outfit, too!"

Lizzie's lips twitched into a small smile. "It's perfect." Putting it away gently, she rose to her feet, holding the box to her chest. "Thank you, Mom."

Dawn smiled, her chest swelling with warmth. "Of course, sweetheart." Taking a good look at Lizzie standing before her, her heart sank in realization that she wouldn't be standing there for much longer. "I can't believe that you're _really_ leaving," she said, and Lizzie looked at her. "Now I know how your Grandma felt when _I_ left home for the first time." Pressing a finger to her temple, Dawn let out a sigh. "I guess stuff like this is _never_ easy when you're a parent." Opening an eye, she let a smile show. "…But somehow I feel happy, too."

Lizzie watched her mother with a small smile, holding the box closer to her chest. Her mother was strong—stronger than she was. Lizzie knew that she could leave and Dawn would be okay. She would continue to work, her Pokemon beside her. Suddenly feeling hollow, Lizzie shifted her attention and glanced down the street behind her.

Following Lizzie's gaze, Dawn blinked and looked down the street as well. Quickly understanding, she frowned and looked back at her daughter. "…He said he would be here."

Pursing her lips, Lizzie kept her eyes on the street. She stayed quiet and unmoving, as if nothing else existed but the horizon.

"I'm sorry, Lizzie," Dawn started quickly, her frown deepening. "Maybe he just—"

"—It's fine," Lizzie interrupted suddenly, closing her eyes with a huff. "It doesn't make a difference to me if he's here or not."

Dawn opened her mouth to speak before she heard the creaking of brakes coming from down the street. "Ah…!" Dawn raised her eyebrows in surprise as she turned her head to see a bus pulling up nearby. "That's your ride, isn't it?"

Lizzie looked over, staring for a moment. "…Yeah," she said after a pause, straightening herself out. "That's it."

Dawn felt her chest tighten. "…Do you really want to do this?" Lizzie flicked her eyes to Dawn, whose gaze was focused on the bus before turning to face her daughter with a frown. "It's just," she began, hesitating, the Kanto region is so far away. If you were in Sinnoh then you could come home if…" She shrugged. "…you know."

Lizzie stiffened. "…Yes," she said simply, looking back forward. "This is what I want to do." She knitted her eyebrows together. "It's what I _have_ to do."

Dawn still looked unsure, her face stitched in worry as Piplup glanced up at her questioningly. Finally, she sighed in defeat before letting herself smile. "I understand," she conceded. Smiling more confidently, she clenched her fists. "Then I'll be cheering you on in the Kanto League from right here!"

Lizzie stared at her, holding her breath. She felt words stirring in her throat, trapped as they tried to bubble to the surface. "…I'll be off, then," she finally said.

Watching as Lizzie turned on her heel to walk, Dawn began to feel her eyes sting as a lump began to rise in her throat. After another step, Lizzie suddenly came to a stop. Taking a deep breath, Lizzie looked towards her, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"No need to worry, all right?"

Dawn's breath caught, staring at Lizzie in surprise. She laughed lightly, the tears she felt rising swelling back down.

"Yeah—no need to worry."

"Pip! Lup! Piplup!" Piplup cried out, waving his fins with tears in his eyes. Dawn bent down and picked him up, holding him close in reassurance as she watched Lizzie offer a small wave and turn back around.

The doors of the bus closed behind her, and just like that, she was gone.

* * *

**_April 1st, 2034. Late Morning. Route 212, Sinnoh._ **

Uneasiness filled the air, a thick fog pouring through the forest. Lizzie took no notice as she read her book quietly, her mind lost in the pages—she couldn't afford to let her mind wander, not now.

The words broke apart in her mind when her Poketch began to beep. Pushing her sleeve back, Lizzie raised her wrist and looked down at the caller ID. She hesitated, letting it ring a few times more before clipping the Poketch off of her wrist. Pressing the 'answer' button, she brought it close to her ear.

"Hello?"

" _Lizzie! Hey! It's Uncle Reggie!"_

Lizzie said nothing at first as the upbeat voice of her uncle came through the speaker, her eyes forward. "…Hey, Uncle Reggie," she finally greeted, glancing out the window. "What's up?"

" _Well, I just got off the phone with your Mom,_ " Reggie started. " _And she told me that you're on a bus heading to Pastoria City. So, I wanted to shoot you a call before you got there."_

Lizzie smiled just the slightest. "Thanks—I'm on my way there now."

" _You must be pretty excited!_ " he enthused before suddenly changing the topic. _"Hey, your Mom told me you already got your first Pokemon, too! You know, you're the first person in our family to pick Chimchar."_ She heard him chuckle. _"I mean, since your Mom and I both chose Piplup, and your Dad, Joel, and Austin all chose Turtwig, I almost figured you'd follow the tradition!"_

Lizzie stiffened, her shoulders tensing. "…I had my own reasoning."

The line went quiet, and Lizzie gripped her Poketch a little tighter. "… _Well, I'm sure Chimchar suits you well,_ " Reggie said, picking the conversation back up. _"I can't wait to meet the little guy for myself one of these days!"_

"I'll come by eventually," Lizzie said absentmindedly, her gaze trailing back out the window.

" _Then I'll anxiously await your visit_ !" Reggie said before taking a pause. "… _So, you're really going all the way to Kanto, huh?_

Lizzie didn't answer for a moment, watching the fog outside the window. "…Yes."

" _I thought you were always set on starting in the Sinnoh region."_

Lizzie closed her eyes, inhaling. "Things have changed. Staying here now would only hold me back." She looked back forward. "And I plan to get stronger, after all."

Reggie went quiet again, and Lizzie felt her heart slow down.

" _...You're probably right."_

Surprised, Lizzie quickly glanced at the speaker, furrowing her brows.

" _I feel like having home just around the corner would be too much of an anchor for you_ ," Reggie admitted quietly. " _I think it's about time you got out of the house and tried to support yourself."_ Hesitating, he added, " _Besides, after everything that's happened, I'm sure a change of scenery would be for the best._ "

Pursing her lips, Lizzie wordlessly looked back out the window. She had always liked the fog. " _...You'll be alright,"_ Reggie suddenly spoke up. _"After all, you and your Pokemon will take care of each other. And remember, everyone here in Sinnoh is wishing you luck and cheering you on._ "

"Mm," Lizzie hummed in her throat, gripping the Poketch tighter. "Right."

After a pause, Reggie took a deep breath. " _But hey,_ " he started. " _You've got a long day ahead of you, so I'll let you go! Take care, and do your best, kiddo!"_

Lizzie closed her eyes, exhaling. "…Thank you, Uncle Reggie."

" _Of course!_ " he said, but then Lizzie noticed a change in his tone as he lowered his voice. " _Good luck, Lizzie._ _We'll talk soon_."

The line went dead, and Lizzie kept the Poketch to her ear a moment longer before slowly lowering it and clipping it back onto her wrist. Resting her head against the cold bus window, she shifted her gaze back outside. The fog was calming—everything looked blank, as if the world had been swallowed and nothing mattered anymore.

Everything was lost, forgotten.

"Chimchar!"

Gasping quietly in surprise, Lizzie was pulled away from her thoughts as she focused her attention to the source of the sudden sound beside her. Sitting on top of her bag, staring right at her, was none other than Chimchar.

Sitting up more, Lizzie scrunched her face in confusion. "Chimchar…? How did you get out of your Poke Ball?"

Chimchar smiled at her innocently, and Lizzie let out a sigh, running a hand through her bangs. "…Look, you can't just let yourself out like that," she said as she began rummaging through her bag for his Poke Ball.

Chimchar blinked in confusion, tilting his head as he watched Lizzie retrieve the ball from inside of her bag.

"Here," Lizzie started, holding the Poke Ball towards him. "Go back into your Poke Ball until we get into the city. It won't be much longer."

The red beam of light coming from the Poke Ball made its way towards Chimchar—but he was quick to jump back, avoiding it by landing on the ground. "Chim!"

Lizzie sighed in frustration, now realizing that Chimchar wasn't going to make this easy for her. "Chimchar, please—now isn't the time for this," she said, aiming the Poke Ball toward him once more. "Return."

But Chimchar jumped away from the beam, snickering playfully as he climbed up another passenger's seat and balanced himself atop the head rest. "Chimchar!" he called to Lizzie.

Lizzie could feel herself stiffen as the man in the seat eyed Chimchar irritably, making a shooing motion with his hand (of which Chimchar ignored).

" _Chimchar_!" Lizzie hissed warningly between her teeth, aiming her Poke Ball at him again.

"Chimchar! Chimchar!" he taunted, jumping across several headrests away from Lizzie.

Lizzie pursed her lips as she heard the annoyed grunts and murmurs from the people around her as Chimchar made his way to the back of the bus. Furrowing her brows, Lizzie rose from her seat. "This isn't funny!" she called to him. But when she was ignored yet again, she let out a frustrated sigh and began pushing her way through the aisle.

After several apologies to the surrounding passengers, Lizzie made her way to the back and pointed the Poke Ball towards Chimchar, who was making himself comfortable in the luggage overhead. "Return," she commanded firmly.

But, yet again, Chimchar ignored Lizzie's orders—jumping from the overhead and grasping onto one of the bus's strap handles as he giggled playfully. Lizzie scowled and made another attempt to return him, but Chimchar simply responded by swinging away. He attempted to make a jump for another strap handle, but his hand slipped and he fell mid-swing—landing right on top of a Shinx sleeping soundly in the seat below.

The Shinx yelped in pain, causing his trainer to look over with a start as Chimchar jumped away. Shinx quickly turned his head towards Chimchar and growled angrily. "Shinx! Shinx!"

Chimchar simply cooed happily and jumped up and down in place, which only served to anger Shinx further. It rose to its feet and glared warningly before letting out a loud, "Shinx!" and firing a Thunderbolt directly at Chimchar.

Chimchar was quick to laugh and jump up, avoiding the attack and grabbing onto a strap handle. But Lizzie's breath caught as the Thunderbolt zipped beneath Chimchar and struck a Buizel sitting nearby instead.

Buizel let out a loud cry of pain, and his trainer audibly gasped and backed away from the danger as he saw the yellow sparks fly. Buizel quickly shook it off, turning to Shinx with an angry scowl "Bui! Bui! Bui!" it called to Shinx before inhaling and firing a Water Gun attack at it.

Buizel's trainer panicked at his Pokemon's actions and was quick to hold it back from doing any more damage. "Buizel, chill out!"

Shinx's trainer was quick to do the same as she grabbed onto her own Pokemon to prevent it from going after Buizel. "Hey! Shinx! Knock it off!" she said to the struggling Pokemon in her arms.

Lizzie quickly scowled and turned her attention back onto her troublemaking Pokemon as he swung on the handle, laughing.

As Lizzie was making her way towards Chimchar, the bus came to a sudden stop, causing her to stumble and grab onto the seats to maintain her balance.

"Hey! What's going on back there!?" a voice boomed from the front of the bus.

When Lizzie looked to the source of the voice, she noticed the bus driver rising from his seat and turning to face the passengers.

It was in that moment that she _also_ noticed they were all glancing angrily at her and Chimchar.

The bus driver did a single glance around the bus before noticing this as well, turning his attention onto Lizzie and Chimchar. He furrowed his brows disapprovingly as he nodded to the swinging Pokemon. "Is that _your_ Pokemon?" he asked sternly.

Lizzie tensed. "Uh, yes," she started, glancing at Chimchar above her. "It is."

Crossing his arms, the bus driver let out a short huff. "Look," he began. "You can't be letting your Pokemon run out of control here. This is public transportation—it's a safety hazard, and it bothers the people around you!" Lizzie felt herself shrink in embarrassment at being scolded in front of all of the other passengers. "If it can't behave itself then I'm going to have to ask for you to put it back inside of its Poke Ball."

"I know," Lizzie said quickly, feeling her face heat up just the slightest. "You see, he let himself out, and I've been trying to—!"

But Lizzie was interrupted when Chimchar suddenly jumped down from above, snatching the bus driver's hat off his head, causing Lizzie to reel back in alarm.

"Hey!" the bus driver said angrily, feeling the top of his bare head. "That's my hat!"

With a snicker, Chimchar perched himself on top of a seat. "Chimchar! Chim!" he taunted, waving the hat in front of him.

Lizzie gasped, but then saw a window of opportunity. While Chimchar had his back turned to her, she quietly crept closer before grabbing him around the center and snatching the hat away from him with a disapproving glare. She then took a deep breath and looked forward, handing the driver back his hat. "…Sorry," she said lowly, glancing to the ground.

Scowling, the driver quickly snatched his hat back and placed it on his head. "Kid, listen," he started with a frustrated sigh. "I can't have some Pokemon running around causing problems here." He crossed his arms. "If you can't control it or get it inside of its Poke Ball, then I'm going to have to ask you to step off the bus."

Lizzie scrunched her shoulders, holding Chimchar closer who looked up at her in confusion. "…I understand," she said quietly, lifting her bag from off of her seat and slinging it over her shoulder. "I'm sorry for the trouble." She bowed her head apologetically before standing up straight again. "I'll walk the rest of the way."

"Well, alright," the bus driver said with a sigh before walking to the front of the bus. He pulled the lever to open the double doors. "Sure you'll be okay?" he asked, eyeing her.

Feeling the weight of the glares of the passengers behind her who were becoming impatient, Lizzie quickly nodded. "I'll be fine," she said, glancing at the bus driver and offering a small, apologetic bow one last time before stepping off the bus.

* * *

Lizzie stumbled as her boot got caught in the mud for the second time. Pursing her lips in irritation, she struggled before popping her foot from the marsh. The fog clouded her vision, but she could see Chimchar's silhouette ahead of her as he kept forward with a bounce in his step. She had tried to return him, but he was too quick in this fog.

She was tired, and she had given up.

"Starly!"

Lizzie looked above her to see a flock of Starly fly into the sky, Chimchar's laughter in the distance. Connecting the dots, she closed her eyes as she sighed in irritation. Suddenly, she let out a yelp in surprise as she jerked forward; her boot had sunk into the marsh once more. Inhaling in anger, she yanked herself free, falling to her knees in frustration.

She saw little specks of glowing red light through the fog, and watched silently as they slowly disappeared into nothing. The image of the Kanto Champion's Infernape appeared in her mind—its fangs bared as it lunged forward, fire spilling from its body in a demonstration of shear strength. The heat of the battle could be felt crawling through her skin as the stadium lit up from Infernape's raw power.

Lizzie was weak—she could never control such power if she couldn't even call her Pokemon back into its Poke Ball.

Chimchar looked back at his trainer as she sat unmoving on the ground. Tilting his head, he suddenly smiled and climbed a nearby tree. "Chimchar!"

Lizzie tiredly looked up at the branch he was perched on. "Chimchar, please," she sighed, furrowing her brows. "I've had enough of this. Get down."

Chimchar stuck his tongue out at her. "Chim!" he grinned before jumping onto a branch of the next tree over.

"Hey!" Lizzie called, glaring as she rose to her feet. "I said get down!"

Chimchar ignored her as he hopped to another tree. But he paused as he spotted an unusual cluster of black and yellow stripes gathered on a tree nearby.

"Char?"

"Are you listening?" Lizzie scolded, chasing after him from the ground. "I—!" She skidded to a stop, freezing at the sight of a group of sleeping Beedrill hanging throughout dozens of surrounding tree branches. Quickly collecting herself, she snapped her head toward Chimchar, lowering her voice to a harsh whisper. "Chimchar, get away from there— _now_."

Chimchar blinked before looking down at Lizzie. She narrowed her eyes as a warning, and Chimchar took that as an invitation to cause more trouble, snickering. Her eyes widened as he eyed back at the Beedrill, holding her breath when he puffed out his chest and fired an Ember.

Upon feeling the burning heat along their backs, the Beedrill's eyes shot open, suddenly waking up in a buzzing frenzy. Chimchar rolled onto his back in laughter, but paused when realizing he was now in the center of their swarm, one bolting towards him with its stinger forward.

"Chim!" Chimchar gasped in alarm, jumping backwards to dodge. His foot slipped on the branch, and he flailed as he fell to the ground, the Beedrill just missing his head.

Lizzie's eyes widened as Chimchar spiraled downwards. "Chimchar!" she cried, stumbling a step forward as he dropped into her arms. "I've got you," she assured him, furrowing her brows as she quickly bolted away from the tree.

Chimchar blinked slowly, looking up at Lizzie in a daze. "Chim…?"

Lizzie kept huffing breaths as she weaved through the fog aimlessly, her chest tightening at the cool air. Her shirt tore as she scraped against a stray branch, and she almost toppled over before regaining her balance, Chimchar holding on to her chest tightly. Pursing her lips, she took a deep breath and spurted forward again.

She could hear faint buzzing behind her, beads of sweat dotting her forehead as she forced herself not to look back. But suddenly she gasped, stumbling to a stop. "Shoot…!" she breathed.

Just feet in front of her was a large marsh—one of the ones that Route 212 had become so well-known for. She pursed her lips, darting her eyes around her surroundings quickly, trying to find another way out. The marsh was shallow enough to walk through, but it wasn't ideal, and doing so would only serve to slow them down. But it was also wide, and with the Beedrill coming from all directions behind them, moving forward was their best bet. The buzzing grew louder, and Lizzie furrowed her brows, holding Chimchar tighter—she knew they were running out of options.

"…We don't have any other choice," she quickly decided.

Taking a quick breath, she began trudging through the marsh, the cold water reaching up to her waist as she pushed through. Chimchar's attention immediately perked up, and he began to let out frightened yelps, struggling in Lizzie's arms at the sight of the water.

Lizzie closed an eye, tightening her grip on him. "Chimchar, hold still! It's not much further!" she assured.

The buzzing rang through her body as if it was coming from inside of her. Her heart rate fluttered anxiously as every step she took through the mucky water seemed to last an eternity. But then, the water's weight was lifted, and Lizzie gasped in relief as she fumbled out of the marsh. Hearing the Beedrill getting closer, Lizzie rushed to hide behind some nearby trees. She stood completely straight, keeping her breathing quiet, her hand over Chimchar's mouth.

The buzzing faded through the trees until it was lost completely. Letting out a long breath, she closed her eyes and slumped her back against the tree trunk in relief.

Panting, Chimchar pulled his mouth away from Lizzie's hand and looked around in alarm to make sure it was safe. "Chim…?"

After taking a moment to regain her composure, Lizzie glanced down at the Chimchar in her arms. Pursing her lips in frustration, she became stern before bending down and carefully placing him on the ground. Chimchar looked up at her curiously as she rose to her feet.

"Chimchar," she said shortly, and Chimchar blinked in surprise. "This has to stop."

The bottom of her skirt was dripping in marsh water, her legs stained brown and her clothes lightly torn. She had no idea which way was left and which way was right—she felt like she would be lost in the fog forever.

She became more firm. "You haven't listened to a single thing I've said all day," she continued, glaring harder. "You've done nothing but run around and cause trouble since we left Hearthome. You bothered other trainers, got us kicked off of the bus, attacked those Beedrill—and now we're lost, dirty, and exhausted."

Chimchar stared at her with wide eyes, pursing his lips as he hung his head low in shame. "Chim…"

"I _told_ you not to go near those Beedrill, but you did it anyways," Lizzie pressed harshly. "Don't you get that it was dangerous to do something like that? You could have been hurt, or worse." Knitting her brows together, she paused as she watched him. "…Like it or not, I'm your trainer now. And as my Pokemon, you have to start listening to what I say, when I say it—understand?"

Chimchar slumped his shoulders sadly as he stared down at the ground. "…Chimchar," he agreed with a small nod.

Lizzie inhaled, allowing herself to simmer down before nodding. "…Alright, then." Staring at Chimchar, she felt her heart ache for just a moment. Brushing it off, she lowered her voice. "We had better keep moving," she said numbly before starting to walk.

Chimchar watched her, guilt pouring from his eyes as she turned her back to him and made her way through the trees. He began to slowly trail behind her, looking down at the ground sadly.

The two continued to walk for another few minutes in silence. A few times, Lizzie's eyes flicked back towards her Pokemon, as if to make sure that he was still there. But every time she glanced back and saw him walking with his head hanging low, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt.

Suddenly, Chimchar paused, lifting his head as he twitched his nose. "…Chim!" Perking up, Chimchar darted off into the woods.

Lizzie faltered as she heard Chimchar trotting into the woods. Furrowing her brows, she quickly spun on her heel. "Chimchar! Hey!" She was fast to chase after him, but the fog filled the forest, and Lizzie could barely see her hand in front of her face. Pursing her lips, she kept running hopelessly, cupping her hands to her mouth. "Chimchar! Chimchar, come back!" Straining her ears, she listened for any kind of answer.

Nothing.

Her legs gave out and she sunk to her feet, her back against the tree. Chimchar was gone again, and maybe this time he wasn't coming back. Maybe he simply would never listen to her, and maybe she had pushed him away for good. Pressing her knees to her chest, she buried her head.

This wasn't what she wanted.

She didn't know what she had expected from herself. She didn't know what she was doing. She should have never even left home.

She was weak.

Light buzzing suddenly poured through the forest. Pausing, Lizzie quickly lifted her head and looked over her shoulder, her heart dropping. Through the clearing of the fog, Lizzie could see the swarm of Beedrill from before rapidly heading her way.

"Oh no," she said breathlessly, inhaling sharply as she stumbled to her feet in panic before rushing off deeper into the woods. Desperately darting her eyes back and forth for her missing Pokemon, she took a deep breath before loudly calling, "Chimchar! _Chimchar!_ "

No matter how much she ran, the buzzing wouldn't stop. Glancing back over her shoulder, she gritted her teeth as the swarm crept closer and closer. As she snapped her head back forward, she gasped and slid to a stop, eyes wide as she stood over a steep ledge. A few pebbles broke off and fell into the marsh far below.

She stared down, her head heavy and dizzy as her body tensed. She took a wobbly step back, her vision blurring with the fog. She had to force herself to pry her eyes away from the drop, but when she turned back around, she saw the Beedrill closing in on her. Her face lost color as her heart came to a stop.

Frozen in place, she shut her eyes tightly.

All of this was a mistake.

"Char!"

Suddenly, a blast of fire spilled over the Beedrill and lit up the forest in red.

Quickly opening her eyes, Lizzie looked over in surprise to see the tiny Chimp Pokemon standing on the ground below the angered swarm of Beedrill. "C-Chimchar!" she called, her eyes widening.

Turning their attention away from Lizzie, the Beedrill spun around angrily to face Chimchar, their eyes flaring. All at once, they dove toward their target, the spears on their hands pointed forward dangerously.

Chimchar swiftly dodged by sliding on the ground underneath them before jumping in front of Lizzie protectively. "Char!"

Lizzie's eyes were wide with shock as she looked down at him. "Chimchar, what are you _doing_ here?!"

Chimchar flashed her a confident smile in response. "Chim!"

Lizzie opened her mouth to speak, but noticed the Beedrill approaching again from the corner of her eye. "Watch out!" she called, tensing.

Chimchar looked back forward, narrowing his eyes on his opponents as he inhaled deeply. "Chimchar!" he cried loudly, firing another Ember attack. The heat of the flames caused the Beedrill to repel backwards in agitation.

Chimchar huffed smoke through his nostrils proudly as he watched them back off, but Lizzie's eye caught a stray Beedrill sweeping in from the side, her breath catching. "Chimchar, to your right!" she called. "Use Scratch!"

"Chim?" Chimchar looked over, eyes widening as he saw the Beedrill zoning in on him. Becoming firm, he sprang forward. "Char!" he cried, slashing his claws across Beedrill's face. Letting out a cry of pain, Beedrill swiftly turned around and flew back to its swarm.

But as soon as the single Beedrill returned, more came forward from all directions. Lizzie clenched her fists, looking around her. There was no escape, and attempting to fight them with a brand new Pokemon would be useless. She was starting to feel herself losing hope. "There are too many of them…" she said lowly, feeling her legs tremble just the slightest.

Chimchar looked back at Lizzie, surprised that she wasn't giving him a command. "Chim…?"

Lizzie wanted to run away and hide. She wanted all of this to disappear, everything to go back to the way it was. She wanted to give up.

She was weak.

"Chimchar!"

Lizzie's breath caught and her eyes flicked toward Chimchar standing before her. His eyes were firm and bright, a fire of fighting spirit blared within them. They were full of life and energy, full of everything Lizzie wasn't.

He was strong.

Lizzie pursed her lips, quiet. Turning to Chimchar, she knitted her brows together.

"…No," she started, inhaling as the shaking in her legs came to a stop. "We're not giving up. Not yet."

Chimchar blinked before his eyes sparked, a confident smile spreading across his face. "Chim!" he agreed with a nod.

Looking back to the Beedrill, Lizzie became firm. "Chimchar, use Ember to your left!"

Obeying her orders, Chimchar breathed in and sent small embers flying to the left. But the Beedrill paid no mind to them, tearing through the small flames with their spears.

Gritting her teeth, Lizzie tensed before calling, "Scratch!"

Chimchar growled at the oncoming opponents before springing into the air and striking them across the face several times with bared claws—which was enough damage to send the few flying away.

Flicking her eyes back forward, Lizzie stared down the swarm that was now hovering over her and Chimchar. The Beedrill that Chimchar had attacked just before tore through Ember like it was nothing, but Scratch wasn't going to be enough to fight the rest.

Even still, she had to try.

Feeling something begin to kindle inside of her, Lizzie took a deep breath and pushed her palm forward. "Use Ember with everything you've got!"

As if the small flame inside of him burst into a full on fire, Chimchar let out a loud cry as he jumped into the air, inhaling deeply. Once he had sprung high enough, let out his breath, powerful bursts of Ember raining over the swarming Beedrill.

Lizzie took a step back, lifting up her arm as smoke spilled through the air. Coughing, she felt the heat of the fire warm her as she looked over, captivated. Suddenly, the image of a blazing Infernape came back to her mind, the stadium glowing in orange as a strong heat blew over the bleachers.

When she snapped back to reality, Lizzie saw the blackened Beedrill buzzing away in broken movements, Chimchar landing smoothly on the ground in front of her. He let out a cry and pounded on his chest victoriously with his fists.

Lizzie stared at Chimchar in awe, the fire of his attack still wildly spreading through her head. Ember was never known for being a particularly strong move, but what she saw had blown her out of the water. Shaking it off, Lizzie took a deep breath and walked over to him.

"Chimchar."

Perking up, Chimchar turned to her. "Char?" he asked, tilting his head.

Lizzie looked down at him sternly before her expression softened just the slightest, crouching down to him. "You did well," she began. "I'm not sure what I would have done on my own back there—those Beedrill really had me in a knot." She exhaled slowly. "But, you came back and pulled through for us, even after everything I said to you before," she said, offering him a small smile, "So… thank you, for coming back and saving me like that."

Chimchar blinked a few times before smiling. "Chim!" He suddenly perked up, looking as if he had remembered something and darted off towards the tree line.

Lizzie's eyes widened, not understanding. "Chimchar! Where are you—!"

A moment later, Chimchar emerged from the trees, scurrying back over to her. Lizzie paused when noticing a couple of berries cradled in his arms, smiling as he held them out to her.

"Char!"

Lizzie furrowed her brows at the berries in confusion before it clicked in her head. "…Did you get these for me?" she asked slowly.

Chimchar smiled sheepishly, holding them out more as he nodded bashfully. "Chim…"

Lizzie pressed her lips into a hard line. She understood now. Chimchar had felt bad for all of the trouble that he had caused before, and he ran off to fetch Lizzie berries as an apology. She had scolded him, but he had performed an act of kindness for her.

"…Thank you," Lizzie finally spoke, smiling as she took a few from his arms before pushing his hand back gently. "But I won't be able to eat all of these on my own—why don't you hang onto those ones for yourself?

Chimchar quickly looked down at his arms before looking back up at Lizzie with an excited smile. "Chimchar!" he said happily, stuffing them all into his mouth at once.

Lizzie watched him, her mind replaying what had happened earlier again and again. The stray embers shooting through the fog and bursting to life as they struck the opposing Beedrill—the burning fire in Chimchar's eyes as he leapt into the air and delivered the attack.

"…You know," she began after a moment, "You were really strong back there."

Surprised, Chimchar swallowed his berries before lifting his head to her. "Chim?"

"When you used that final Ember on those Beedrill, I was impressed," she continued, glancing to the ground. "I've never seen raw power quite like it." She lulled her head from side to side, considering her words. "Maybe all of that pent-up energy you have stored inside of you is the source." She knitted her brows together, looking at Chimchar seriously. "And maybe you and I can find a way to harness that energy and use it in battle."

Chimchar cocked his head to the side curiously.

Lizzie stayed silent, furrowing her brows more as she tried to figure out how to convey the words stuck in her throat.

"…I want to become stronger," she finally admitted, looking at Chimchar, who straightened himself out. "I want to be strong enough to surpass the Champion." She clenched her fists tightly against her knees. "But, I can't do it by myself. Right now…I'm weak, and I need the right partner." Her face firm, she held out her hand to him. "So, will you lend me your power?"

Chimchar blinked cluelessly at her hand for a moment before smiling confidently, grasping it. "Chim! Chimchar!" he affirmed, before climbing up onto her shoulder and flexing his arms. "Char!"

Lizzie gasped, leaning to the side as she closed an eye and glanced over at him. Huffing, she smiled a bit as she scratched gently under his chin. "I guess I'll take that as a yes."

Chimchar grinned at her. "Chim! Chimchar!"

"Then it's settled," Lizzie said, rising to her feet, and Chimchar smiled at her. Lizzie smiled back before scrunching her face in remembrance, looking back to the woods. "…But we're still lost."

Chimchar frowned as he eyed Lizzie—she was painted in dried mud and purple bruises. Pausing, Chimchar looked over, a faint light shining dimly through the fog.

"Chim!" Chimchar exclaimed, pointing to the light. Lizzie blinked and looked over, squinting before noticing it in the distance. Keeping her eyes on the light, she began to walk, the ocean suddenly coming into view through the fog.

The lights of Pastoria shone white on the ocean's surface, and Lizzie couldn't help but let a small smile escape as her eyes soaked in the sight of the city.

A boat was docked close by, and Lizzie spotted it, all of the sudden feeling unsure and hollow.

"Chim."

Her thoughts breaking, Lizzie looked to Chimchar. He smiled confidently at her, and Lizzie stared at him before letting herself smile back.

Turning to face the city, she took a step forward, Chimchar by her side.

* * *

**_April 1st, 2034. Late Afternoon. Pastoria City, Sinnoh._ **

Lizzie let her hands slide smoothly over her new blue dress, her fingertips tracing every stitch. She imagined her mother late at night, hunched over her sewing machine with unwavering eyes. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, wondering how long it would take her to walk back home.

Becoming firm, she shook away the thought and tied her hair up into a ponytail with a black bow before exiting the double doors of the Pokemon Center.

The city was quiet, the fog pouring lightly through the streets. Lizzie looked around before turning her attention to the dock ahead.

Inhaling, she looked down at Chimchar who was standing by her side, offering a small smile. "That's our boat," she said as she began walking forward. "Let's go."

Chimchar lit up in excitement. "Chim!" he exclaimed before chasing after her as she began making her way up the ramp leading onto the boat.

"Elizabeth."

Lizzie froze, her body tensing as the familiar, low voice ran through her body. Holding her breath, she furrowed her brows before glancing back. Paul stood behind her, sliding his hands into the pockets of his dark jacket.

"…Dad," she said flatly. Turning on her heel, she turned to face him more fully. "What are you doing here?"

Paul stopped at the bottom of the ramp. "I came to say goodbye," he explained simply.

Chimchar looked between the two, tilting his head in confusion. He shrank back just the slightest at the tension in his trainer's voice.

"Goodbye _?_ " Lizzie repeated, her voice dripping in irritation. "You told Mom—!"

"—That I would see you off," Paul finished for her, flicking his stern gaze to meet her own.

Lizzie paused in realization before huffing and glaring away from him. "…Right."

Paul said nothing, watching her for a moment before shifting his focus onto the Pokemon that stood beside her.

"…You chose Chimchar," he noted.

Chimchar became excited at his name, suddenly springing back to his usual self as he bounced up and down in place. "Chimchar!" he chirped happily.

Lizzie glanced at Paul before flicking her eyes to Chimchar, who smiled up at her. "Yes, I did."

Paul eyed it wordlessly, lifting his head back to Lizzie. "If you raise it well, you'll have a powerful partner."

Lizzie furrowed her brows, not taking her eyes off of Chimchar. "… I know." She inhaled, turning back to Paul. "That's why I picked it."

Paul stared at her, quiet. After a moment, he pulled his hand from his pocket and reached into the bag draped around his shoulder. Lizzie's shoulders stiffened as he walked towards her, but she faltered slightly as he held out a little black book for her.

"This is for you."

Collecting herself quickly, Lizzie took the book from his grasp and scrunched her face in uncertainty as she flipped through the pages. They were all blank. Closing the book, she pursed her lips and looked back to Paul.

"Why?"

"I thought it might be useful for planning battle strategy," Paul replied. He slid his hands back into his pockets, hesitating a moment before lowering his voice. "…And I know you like to write."

Lizzie paused, her face elongating as her mouth gaped open just the slightest. She quickly glanced back at the journal, looking at it more closely before eyeing Paul. "…Thank you," she said quietly before opening her bag.

Paul watched Lizzie as she slid the journal inside. Clenching and unclenching his fist inside his pocket, he opened his mouth to speak—but he was interrupted when the horn of the boat cut through the air. He glanced beside him to see some scattered last minute passages hurrying toward the dock.

"…You don't want to be late."

Lizzie raised her eyebrows as she looked over her shoulder. "…Yeah," she said shortly, adjusting her bag. "I should go." She glanced back at Paul. "Thanks for saying goodbye." Turning on her heel, she began to walk up the railing of the ship. "Let's go, Chimchar."

Paul stared at her silently, unmoving, as Chimchar chased after her. He paused when Lizzie suddenly stopped halfway up the ramp. She gripped the strap of her bag, her back still to Paul.

"…I'm going to become stronger."

Paul stared. "…What?"

Lizzie kept her eyes to the ground, her body tense. Inhaling, she turned to face him. "I'm going to become stronger," she repeated, her face becoming firm. "And someday, I'll be strong enough to surpass the Champion." Her hand trembling slightly, she gripped her bag tighter. "I'll become strong enough to surpass _you_."

Paul didn't say anything. He looked up at her eyes, seeing a mix of hurt and fire inside of them. Suddenly she looked so much bigger than him as she stood on the ramp, her shadow blackening over him.

Furrowing his brows, he gave her a single nod.

Lizzie stared him down for a final moment before flicking her eyes to Chimchar, nodding to him as she turned her back to Paul and disappeared into the crowd of the ship.

* * *

**_April 1st, 2034. Night. Vermillion City, Kanto._ **

The boat split the water into waves as it glided forward. Lizzie stood at the front of the ship, her hands gripping the railing as she stared out to the faded black buildings on the horizon. Chimchar was perched on the railing beside her, playfully bouncing up and down as he watched a herd of Lapras pass by.

Lizzie kept her breathing even as the light from a lighthouse shone over the boat. The fading fog slipped behind her as if Sinnoh was calling and pulling it back home.

Lizzie didn't look back.

" _Welcome to Vermillion City!"_

The lights of the city lit up the night sky, and Lizzie gripped the railing more firmly as she inhaled slowly.

Sinnoh was calling to her, but she wouldn't be pulled back just yet.

For now, it was time to move forward.

* * *

… _And the journey continues!_


	4. Enter Rival! Trouble in Pewter City!

**_April 7th, 2034. Noon. Route 2, Kanto._ **

"Poke Ball, go!"

The Poke Ball fell to the ground, twitching back and forth in the grass. Skye watched it with unwavering eyes, her breathing broken and short. She held her breath as it shook for the third time, followed by a pause.

' _ Ding!' _

Three little stars sparked from the Poke Ball, and Skye stared wordlessly before she burst into excitement.

"Score!" she exclaimed, pumping her fist into the air. Rushing over, she bent down and picked up the Poke Ball, holding it out for Squirtle to see. "We just caught our newest teammate!"

Squirtle waved his arms happily in air, bouncing up onto his tail. "Squirtle! Squirt!"

It had been a week since Skye had left Pallet. After being lost in Viridian Forest for two days, with all of Skye's capture attempts ending in disappointment and hopelessness, she now held a Pokemon she had captured all by herself in her hands.

"Congrats."

Squirtle looked towards Briar as he made his way over them, and Briar winked at him before turning to Skye with a smile. "You know, that actually wasn't half bad," he complimented.

"Of course!" she said proudly, thumbing to herself. "I told you that I was a natural!"

Briar's face fell, letting out a dry laugh. "This again...?"

Skye brushed off his comment as she looked back down at her Poke Ball, beaming. "Now that I've added another player to my starting line-up, taking on the Pewter City Gym will be a piece of cake!" she said, flashing Squirtle a smile, who pounded a fist to his chest in response.

Glancing between the two, Briar eventually let out a sigh, defeated. "All right," he conceded, crossing his arms. "Then let's get in some proper training." He closed his eyes and held up a finger. "If you're going to challenge a Gym Leader, then first you have to—!" Pausing at the crunching of dirt, Briar opened an eye, turning around to see Skye already running towards the city.

" _ Hey! _ "

"Sorry!" Skye teased as she looked back with a sly grin. "I can't hear you from all the way back there!"

Briar glared before growing flustered, quickly chasing after her. "Skye! I'm serious!" he called. She merely laughed in response, causing his face to grow red. He opened his mouth to call after her again, but suddenly skidded to a stop, his eyes widening.

"Skye! Look out!"

Skye blinked, her head turned back towards him. "Huh?" Looking forward, she yelped as she roughly crashed into something, falling back and hitting the ground.

Squirtle gasped as he saw his trainer fall. "Squirtle!" he cried, panicking as he rushed to her side.

Groaning, Skye pressed a palm against the ground as she sat up and rubbed her head in pain. "Jeeze! What was that?!" she scowled, checking her hand for any sign of blood.

"Watch where you're going."

Skye paused when hearing the voice, lifting her head. Sitting across from her was a girl about her age picking up some of the Poke Balls that had fallen out of her bag. Skye stared at her with familiarity, her eyes widening in remembrance.

"…Hey, I know you!"

Slipping the final Poke Ball into her bag, the girl flicked her eyes over. Her expression changed when seeing Skye.

"…Skylar."

Forgetting her anger, Skye bounced to her feet with a grin, causing Squirtle to look up at her in alarm. "Lizzie!" She held out her hand to her. "Long time no see!"

Lizzie ignored her help, slowly rising to her feet as Briar jogged over.

"Sorry about my friend," he panted with a nervous laugh. "She's a little—!" He blinked upon noticing Skye's expression, looking between the two. "…Do you guys know each other?"

Lizzie said nothing as she brushed the dirt off of her dress, unamused.

Skye looked at Briar, ignorant to Lizzie's cold disposition. "Yeah! This is Lizzie Rebolledo!" She turned back to Lizzie. "We met a few months ago at the Jubilife City Battle Tournament—she's the Sinnoh Champion's daughter!"

Lizzie cringed in annoyance, and Briar blinked thoughtfully.

"Ah, that's right—I forgot you went out to Sinnoh for that." He smiled politely at Lizzie. "Well, it's an honor to meet you, Lizzie." He pointed to himself. "I'm Briar Oak—a Pokemon Coordinator and friend of Skye's."

Lizzie glanced over at him, quiet for a moment before giving him a small nod. "It's a pleasure," she said shortly, turning to leave.

"Hey, what're you doing in Kanto?" Skye asked, tilting her head. Lizzie stopped. "Shouldn't you be in Sinnoh?"

Lizzie kept her back to Skye, her eyes forward. "…I took a boat from Pastoria City a week ago so I could compete in the Kanto League." She looked back at Skye from the corner of her eye. "But I fail to see how the rest is any of your business."

Skye faltered before letting out a huff and glaring to the side. "It was just a question," she muttered bitterly.

"If you took a boat in from Pastoria, then that must mean you docked in Vermillion," Briar noted. "You've come an awfully long way in just a week."

"I took a short-cut through Diglett's Ca—"

"Hey, there's a gym in Vermillion City, isn't there?" Skye interrupted excitedly, and Lizzie scrunched her nose in annoyance. "Did you challenge it?" she pressed. "Did you win?"

Lizzie closed her eyes. "There is—but I didn't challenge it."

"Eh?" Skye looked alarmed, not understanding. "Why not?"

"My Pokemon and I aren't strong enough yet."

Skye furrowed her brows, confused. "Not strong enough?"

"We still need more training," Lizzie responded simply. Skye opened her mouth to speak, but before she could retort, Lizzie's eyes trailed down to Squirtle, her attention shifting. "…Is that your Pokemon?"

The Vermillion Gym slipped from Skye's mind, and her face lit up eagerly. "Yeah!" She looked down at Squirtle. "This is Squirtle! My first Pokemon and star player!"

Squirtle smiled proudly, placing his hands on his hips. "Squirtle!"

Lizzie studied him carefully, quiet. "…I see." She looked back to Skye. "And how many other Pokemon have you caught?"

"Funny you ask," Skye started with a smirk, pulling a Poke Ball out of her pocket and holding it out to her. "I made my first capture just a few minutes ago!"

Lizzie raised an eyebrow. "What?" She eyed the Poke Ball in Skye's hand. "You've been traveling for a week and you've just caught your first Pokemon  _ now _ ?"

Skye quickly became flustered. "So what?" she spat, narrowing her eyes. "How many Pokemon do  _ you _ have?"

"Four."

Skye faltered, taking a step backwards. "Fou—?!" She quickly shook it off, scoffing. "Whatever! Numbers don't mean anything!" she declared, closing her eyes in frustration. "I only recruit the best players for my team!" She looked at Squirtle confidently, who smiled back at her. "Even with just Squirtle, we haven't lost a single match yet!"

"I can't imagine such weak opponents," Lizzie said, unimpressed as she turned to leave once more.

Skye inhaled sharply, her face growing red in anger before pointing at Lizzie. "If you doubt me then battle me for yourself!" Lizzie stopped in her tracks flicking her eyes back towards Skye, who shot her a sly smile. "After all, you promised you would, didn't you?"

Lizzie kept her gaze on Skye for a moment, her back still towards her. Turning on her heel, she knitted her brows together as their eyes locked.

"Fine."

"What?" Briar cut in with surprise before giving Skye a disapproving look. "Skye, Squirtle is your only usable Pokemon right now, and he still hasn't even fully regained his stamina after the battle from before."

"It's no problem!" Skye dismissed with a grin. "Squirtle is totally fine! We're on a winning streak, after all!"

Squirtle perked up at his name and looked up at Skye with uncertainty. Taking a quick breath, he smiled and pumped his fist towards Briar.

"Squirtle!"

Unconvinced, Briar looked between the two before letting out a sigh and holding his hands up in defeat. "All right, it's your call."

Skye winked at him, giving him a thumbs-up. "Don't worry—we'll win this without breaking a sweat!"

Lizzie pulled a Poke Ball from her bag, clicking the button to enlarge it. "Since you only have one Pokemon, we'll make this quick with a one-on-one."

Skye bit the insides of her cheeks in irritation before brushing off her comment. "Fine by me!" Straightening out her stance, she pointed forward. "Squirtle, I need you on offense!"

Squirtle jumped in front of Skye, puffing his chest out. "Squirtle!"

Lizzie stared down at it. "Then I'll use Chimchar," she said, tossing her own Poke Ball.

The Poke Ball opened, and emerging from the white light, Chimchar bounced excitedly. "Chimchar!"

"Chimchar?" Furrowing her brows, Skye slipped her Pokedex from her pocket.

" _ Chimchar, the Chimp Pokemon _ . _ The gas made in its belly burns from its rear end. The fire burns weakly when it feels sick." _

Skye looked up from her Pokedex in confusion, studying Chimchar's burning flame. "A fire-type?" She shook the thought off and grinned. "Whatever, this'll be easy, then!"

Lizzie said nothing as she watched Skye closely, Briar stepping between them.

"If you two are going to battle, then you'll need a ref," he stated, thumbing to himself. "I'll do the honors." He looked between the two. "Are you both ready?"

Lizzie stepped back, her expression firm. "Yes."

"You bet we are!" Skye affirmed.

"All right then." He held up his hands, stern. "Battle, begin!"

Deciding to grasp the first move, Skye pointed straight ahead and called, "Quick, Squirtle! Use Water Gun!"

"Squirt!" Squirtle chirped, taking a deep breath and shooting a powerful jet of water Chimchar's way.

"Chimchar, dodge," Lizzie commanded suddenly.

Without missing a beat, Chimchar followed his trainer's orders and swiftly jumped away from the stream that was quickly closing in. Squirtle turned his head towards Chimchar in alarm, surprised by his speedy movements.

"Whoa, it's fast!" Skye gasped.

"Ember!"

Before Skye got the chance to counter, Chimchar doused Squirtle in spurts of fire, causing him to yell out and stumble backwards.

"Squirtle!" Skye called, watching as Squirtle held up an arm in an attempt to block the embers raining over him.

"Keep using Ember, Chimchar!" Lizzie ordered firmly.

Squirtle looked back at Skye, waiting for a command as Chimchar intensified his fire. Skye scowled, gritting her teeth and shaking it off. "Fire attacks don't bother us!" she said, pushing her first forward. "Charge right through that Ember with Tackle!"

Squirtle faltered, looking at Skye in anguish before turning his head towards Chimchar again, a look of uncertainty on his face. Lizzie glanced down at Squirtle, watching carefully as he swallowed and became firm, charging head first towards Chimchar and straight through the flames.

Taking advantage of Squirtle's moment of hesitation, Lizzie cut in, "Chimchar, use Dig!"

Chimchar let out a "Chim!" before bouncing into the air and burrowing underground.

Skye took a step back as Chimchar disappeared from sight and watched as her Pokemon came to a sudden stop, nearly tripping over the hole that Chimchar had dug in the ground.

"S-Squirt!" Squirtle stammered before regaining his balance and letting out a relieved sigh.

Unsure of what to do, Skye darted her eyes around in desperation. "Squirtle, be on the look ou—!"

"Now!"

It was too late. Chimchar burst from the ground, striking Squirtle beneath the jaw and knocking him onto his back.

Squirtle let out a grunt as he wobbled back and forth, flailing pathetically as he tried to get on his feet again.

Skye inhaled sharply as she watched Squirtle struggle before growing frustrated. "Squirtle, come on! Get up and use Water Gun, now!"

Squirtle winced in pain before pushing his tail against the ground, propelling his weight forward and landing on his feet. He stumbled for just a moment before exhaling a stream of water forward.

Skye was quick, but Lizzie was quicker. "Dodge and use Leer!"

"Chim!" Smiling confidently, Chimchar quickly slid to the side. When Squirtle turned to face him, Chimchar stared him down with a firm glare, his eyes red.

Pausing in confusion mid-attack, Squirtle's body suddenly became loose, slumping just the slightest as he took a step backwards. "Squirt…!"

Skye pursed her lips, exasperated. "Get your head in the game, Squirtle!" she barked. "Tackle!"

Beginning to feel weak, Squirtle closed an eye and looked back at Skye pleadingly. "Squirt...!"

"Chimchar, finish this with Scratch!" Lizzie said suddenly.

"Chim!" Chimchar quickly zoned in on Squirtle, striking him across the face with shining claws.

Squirtle yelped loudly, covering his face with his hands before collapsing, exhausted.

Skye's breath hitched, her eyes widening. "Squirtle, no!"

Chimchar swiftly jumped back to his trainer as Squirtle fell to the ground, bouncing up and down triumphantly. "Chimchar!"

Briar gaped at Squirtle in shock. "U-uh…!" Shaking it off, he held up a hand. "Squirtle is unable to battle!" he declared, extending his hand to Lizzie. "The match goes to Lizzie and Chimchar!"

Skye stared down at Squirtle, shattered. She saw him fall to the ground again and again, the moment imprinted in her mind. Collecting herself, she slowly bent down on one knee. "I'm sorry, Squirtle," she said quietly, holding up her Poke Ball. "You were awesome."

Squirtle frowned at her apologetically as he disappeared into the red light. Skye looked down at the Poke Ball, gripping it tightly.

"Thank you, Chimchar," Lizzie said, returning her bouncing Pokemon. "You did well." She looked over at Skye, growing quiet.

Briar looked between the two before jogging over to Skye. "Hey," he began tentatively. "Is Squirtle all right?"

Skye rose to her feet, nodding as she kept her eyes on the Poke Ball in her hand. "…I don't understand," she said, knitting her brows together in frustration. "We've been winning this whole time." She gripped the ball tighter. "So how could we lose?"

Briar frowned, sympathetic. "Well—!"

"It's because you were out of sync with your Pokemon."

Skye paused, quickly turning to Lizzie before narrowing her eyes.

"What?"

"A trainer and their Pokemon are partners," Lizzie continued, glancing at Skye as she adjusted the strap of her bag. "If you can't understand Squirtle's feelings, then you might as well go back home."

Skye scowled. "What are you talking about?" she asked defensively. "We're a perfect team!"

Lizzie turned away, her back to Skye. "If you think so, then you'll never be able to become strong."

"What do you know, anyways?!" she spat, stepping towards Lizzie aggressively. "Come on, let's go again! Right here, right now!"

Briar grabbed her shoulder firmly, causing her to stumble back. "Skye, chill out! Your Pokemon are in no condition to battle!"

"Battling you like this wouldn't make me any stronger," Lizzie said simply as she began to walk. "All I would be doing is wasting my time."

Skye's glare deepened, cupping her hand to her mouth. "When I win my first gym badge, you'll see how strong I really am!"

Lizzie didn't turn around, and Skye stared with burning eyes as she disappeared into the trees.

* * *

**_April 7th, 2034. Afternoon. Pewter City, Kanto._ **

Skye sat slumped in the Pokemon Center lobby, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

"Can you believe her?" she muttered bitterly. "What's her problem?"

Briar was sitting next to Skye, polishing one of his Poke Balls with a white cloth. "Huh?" He eyed her, unamused. "Are you seriously still thinking about Lizzie?"

"You heard what she said!" Skye said shortly. "Who says stuff like that, anyways?!"

Briar looked back down at his reflection in his Poke Ball. "I dunno," he murmured. "It's not like she was completely off the mark."

Skye gave him a dangerous look. "You're taking her side?"

"I'm not taking sides," Briar said with a sigh before shrinking his Poke Ball and slipping it into his pocket. "All I'm saying is that maybe Lizzie had a point." He gave her a sideways glance. "I mean, you couldn't even land a single hit on her."

Skye's face heated up. "She just got lucky!"

"Luck had nothing to do with it," Briar countered. "I've been watching you, you know. Your battle style is pretty sloppy." He closed his eyes. "I mean, you're still new at all of this—stumbling is inevitable."

"Lizzie didn't stumble," Skye spat at him, and Briar winced. "We both started at the same time, so what gives?"

Briar looked thoughtful, pondering. "She listened before she spoke." Skye gave him an odd look, not understanding, and he sighed. "Lizzie would wait for you to attack before making a move," he explained. "You were impulsive and offensive, and she took advantage of that."

"What's wrong with being offensive?" Skye retorted. "We won before no problem!"

"Lizzie is a different kind of opponent," Briar said, crossing his arms. "The same trick won't work for every battle. A trainer has to be able to adapt." He looked forward. "And to do that, a trainer's gotta be in sync with their Pokemon."

Skye felt her blood boil, glaring as she rose to her feet. "I'm totally in sync with Squirtle! The two of us are a team!" She clenched her fists. "And together we're gonna beat the Pewter City Gym Leader!"

Briar pursed his lips in frustration, holding up his hands. "Skye, I'm just trying to hel—!"

"Skylar Ketchum?" Nurse Joy called from the counter, and Skye looked over quickly. "Your Pokemon are all set!"

"Ah, one second!" She gave Briar a harsh look before rushing to the counter. "Are all of my Pokemon all right, Nurse Joy?"

"Of course," Nurse Joy assured with a smile, pushing a tray holding two Poke Balls towards Skye. "The both of your Pokemon are fighting-fit. Just make sure that they get a good night's sleep!"

Skye looked relieved, giving her a nod. "I will—thank you for treating them." She took the Poke Balls from the tray before stepping away from the counter, holding them out. "Come on out, guys!"

A bright light shone, and Squirtle shook himself awake. "Squirt!"

Emerging from the Poke Ball in Skye's other hand was a female Nidoran. She blinked the light away from her eyes before lifting her head slowly. Confused and a bit disoriented, she looked around the lobby of the Pokemon Center, carefully observing her surroundings.

Skye smiled brightly as she watched her new Pokemon. "Hey, Nidoran!" she greeted. "I didn't get the chance to properly introduce myself before." She crouched down, and Nidoran looked up at her curiously.

"My name's Skye," she began, pointing to herself. "I'm a Pokemon Trainer, and you're the very first Pokemon I've ever caught!" She had a dreamy look in her eyes, and Nidoran felt in awe. "You and I, we could be teammates." She extended her hand. "Whaddya say about taking on the Pokemon League together? We're gonna aim all the way for the top!"

Nidoran stared up at her, her eyes shining just the slightest with wonderment. "Ni…" Lifting her head, she lightly bumped Skye's hand with her nose. "Nido!" she agreed with a stomp of her foot.

Skye clenched her fist. "Yeah!" she beamed. "That's what I like to hear! I can tell we'll make a great team already!"

"Are your Pokemon okay?"

Skye blinked before lifting her head. She turned to see Briar walking toward her, his hands in his pockets. "Of course! They're in tip-top shape!" she declared, standing to her feet before looking back to Nidoran. "Nidoran, this is my friend, Briar. He's gonna be traveling with us!"

Briar turned to Nidoran, smiling as he held up a hand. "It's nice to meet you, Nidoran."

"Nido!" Nidoran happily responded.

Satisfied, Skye continued, gesturing her hand to the side. "And  _ this _ is your teammate, Squirt—!" Skye paused when noticing the space beside her was empty. "…Squirtle?" Quickly looking around the lobby, she raised her brows when seeing him sitting off to the side on the ground, his back facing them.

Nidoran tilted her head, looking over to Squirtle. "Ni?"

Skye knitted her brows together. "Hey, Squirtle, what's up? Are you still not feeling so good?"

Squirtle didn't look back, moping as he continued to stare at the ground. "Squirt…"

"I don't think Squirtle's sick," Briar observed, catching Skye's attention. "I get the feeling that maybe he's still pretty bummed out over your loss to Lizzie." He turned to Skye. "This is his first loss, after all."

Skye blinked and looked back to Squirtle, a frown escaping. "I get it…" She stayed put for a moment before becoming firm and making her way over to Squirtle, crouching down to his level. "I know that it stinks to lose, especially since we've been winning for so long—but it's okay, buddy," she assured, offering him a smile. "You were awesome out there anyways!"

Nidoran trotted after Skye, looking at Squirtle sympathetically.

Squirtle kept his head hung low, Skye's words unable to reach him. "Squirtle," he murmured, shaking his head sadly.

"Don't be like that!" Skye pressed, putting a hand on the back of his shell reassuringly. "Lizzie is strong, but so are we!" She beamed at him confidently. "Next time, we won't be the losers!"

Squirtle looked up at her glumly. "Squirtle?"

"So chin-up!" she continued, pumping her fist forward. "We still have a gym badge with our name on it!" She grinned. "And when we win, Lizzie will see just how wrong she was about us!"

Quiet, Squirtle stared up at her thoughtfully before looking to Nidoran and Briar, both nodding in encouragement. Taking a deep breath, Squirtle became firm, bouncing to his feet with new determination. "Squirtle!"

"There you go!" Skye's smile grew as she rose to her feet. "So what are we waiting for?" She looked between Squirtle and Nidoran. "Now that you're both in perfect health, it's time to show the Pewter City Gym what Team Ketchum is made of!"

"Squirtle!" Squirtle agreed, punching his fist into the air.

Nidoran lifted her head with confidence. "Nido!"

Briar watched them from behind, his arms crossed. Closing his eyes, he sighed before letting a small smile show.

"Nurse Joy!"

Skye and Briar both looked over suddenly, a man hastily running through the double doors of the Pokemon Center in a panic. Skye stared, her head clicking in realization.

"Hey," she said, perking up. "That's Forrest!"

Briar did a double-take, surprised. "What? You mean the Gym Leader?"

"Yeah!" Skye said, making a noise in excitement. "This is perfect!" She looked down at her Pokemon, eager. "Let's ask him for a gym battle right away!"

Squirtle and Nidoran both lit up, nodding in agreement.

Briar looked at Skye before shifting his attention back to Forrest, scrunching his forehead in thought. "Wait," he began, holding out a hand to stop her. "He looks pretty shaken." He turned to Skye seriously. "If he came running in here yelling for Nurse Joy like that, then something must be wrong."

Pausing, Skye looked to Forrest, only now noticing the layer of dirt he was dusted in.

Nurse Joy rushed over, surprised. "Forrest!" she said in alarm, a look of concern crossing her face. "What's the matter? Is something wrong?"

Forrest put his hands on the front desk, his breathing heavy. "There's been an accident," he managed, and Nurse Joy's eyes widened. "On Route 3—there was a rock slide!"

Briar and Skye's mouths gaped open, taken back.

"What?"

"A rock slide?!"

"Oh my!" Nurse Joy exclaimed, putting a hand to her mouth.

"It's bad," Forrest continued, firm. "The entire route is a total mess, and there are a lot of injured Pokemon out there who need the Pokemon Center's help right away!"

Nurse Joy nodded quickly. "Yes, of course!" She began running backwards. "I'll call Officer Jenny and start sending over the emergency vehicles!"

Forrest pursed his lips. "Please, hurry!"

Skye stared, unmoving. Collecting herself, she inhaled and became firm. "We have to do something, too."

Briar paused, looking at her in surprise before shaking it off with a stern nod. "Yeah. You're right."

Skye turned to Nidoran and Squirtle seriously. "Sorry guys, the battle is gonna have to wait." She held out their Poke Balls. "Return!" Squirtle and Nidoran exchanged concerned looks before a red light sucked the two back inside. Slipping her Poke Balls into her bag, Skye quickly jogged over to Forrest, Briar close behind. "Hey, Forrest!"

Lifting his head in surprise, Forrest turned to Skye, stopping in realization. "You…" He stood up straight, knitting his brows together. "You're Ash Ketchum's daughter, aren't you?" He faced her more fully. "It's been a while. Skye, right?"

"Yeah!" Skye said, nodding to Briar. "And this is my friend, Briar." Briar nodded in greeting and Skye faltered slightly, shaking off the friendly air. "We overheard you talking to Nurse Joy. What happened?"

Forrest stiffened. "…I was doing some training near Route 3 with my Pokemon," he began, shaking his head. "Suddenly we heard a lot of commotion coming from nearby, so we went to go check it out." He looked down to the ground, his fists clenched tightly. "When I got there, there was a huge rockslide blocking the path." His voice wavered just the slightest. "There was a panic. My Pokemon tried to dig out the rocks, but it's just too much." He looked toward the door. "So I rushed here as fast as I could."

Skye took a step back, alarmed. "That's terrible!"

Briar stepped in, furrowing his brows with concern. "What's going to happen to all of those Pokemon?"

Forrest hesitated. "Right now, I'm not sure." He inhaled. "But as soon as Nurse Joy returns I'm gonna go back there and do everything in my power to help get them all to safety."

"Then we're coming with you!" Skye asserted, not missing a beat.

Briar looked at Skye, caught off guard. Taking a deep breath, he straightened himself out and looked back to Forrest with a nod.

Forrest raised his brows, glancing between the two. "What?"

"You're going to need all the help you can get, right?" Briar argued, and Forrest looked at him.

"W-well, sure," Forrest stammered, taken back. "But it's too dangerous! I can't just let two kids come along!"

"We can't just stand by knowing that Pokemon could be hurt!" Skye spoke up, taking a step forward. "We want to help! You have to let us come!"

Forrest stared at her, at a loss for words. Her eyes were strong and full of fire, and he pursed his lips into a hard line.

"…All right."

Skye perked up, exchanging a satisfied look with Briar.

"Forrest!" Forrest turned around, Nurse Joy rushing back to the front counter. "I just got off the phone with Officer Jenny—she and the rest of the Pewter City police are making their way to Route 3 right now." She looked over her shoulder to the backroom. "I have the ambulances getting ready to head over there as well." She looked back to Forrest. "If you'd like, you can hop onto one before they set off."

Forrest straightened himself out. "All right. Thank you, Nurse Joy." He thumbed to Skye and Briar. "These two will be tagging along with me, if that's all right."

"What?" Nurse Joy gasped. "But these are children!"

"I know," Forrest interjected, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "But I don't think they're giving me much of a choice."

Nurse Joy turned to Skye and Briar, who stared back with unwavering eyes. Returning her gaze to Forrest, she gave a nod, knitting her face with concern. "Just be safe."

"We will," Forrest assured, looking back to Skye and Briar. "Let's go!"

Skye inhaled, her face stern before she began dashing after Forrest, Briar close behind.

"Right!"

* * *

**_April 7th, 2034. Afternoon. Route 3, Kanto._ **

The ambulance skidded to a stop, and Briar jumped out of the back, staring at the sight before him in horrific awe.

"A-ah…!"

The dirt road was black, a shadow looming over the path. Rocks slumped on top of each other like broken puzzle pieces, the air filled with dust. Flashing lights from the police cars lit up the darkness in red and blue, Chansey rushing to load Pokemon on stretchers into incoming ambulances.

Skye hopped out as well and stared in shock, her legs unable to move. "This is awful…!" she said breathlessly

Forrest heaved himself down from the ambulance, aiding a Chansey with its stretcher. He quickly looked over to Briar and Skye. "I tried to warn you," he said, walking over after Chansey pushed the stretcher away. "You can still go back to the Pokemon Center, if you'd like."

Skye was quick to swallow down her uneasiness. "No way," she said, Briar giving her a nod before turning to Forrest. "We can't just walk away when we know we can help!"

Forrest stayed quiet. "…All right," he conceded. He eyed the Chansey behind him. "If you two want to help, then you can start by aiding Chansey in getting these Pokemon into the ambulance." He became firm. "I'm going to help my Pokemon dig through the rubble. If you need me, just shout."

"Okay," Skye affirmed, and Forrest ran off toward the wreckage, his Pokemon already hauling rocks one by one. An idea struck Skye, and she turned to Briar. "We should get our Pokemon to help, too!"

"Good idea," Briar agreed, taking out his Poke Ball and tossing it upwards. "Charmeleon, we need your help!"

Skye held out her own Poke Ball. "Squirtle, you too!"

"Char!" Charmeleon cried, breaking from the white light as Squirtle appeared by his side.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle blinked before looking around in confusion. "Squirt?"

"Guys, there's been an accident," Skye explained seriously, and the two looked up at her. "There are a lot of injured Pokemon who need to be taken to the Pokemon Center right away!"

"We need to load these Pokemon onto stretchers and into the ambulance so we can get them to safety," Briar added, knitting his brows together. "Will you help us?"

Charmeleon and Squirtle exchanged questioning looks before straightening themselves out and looking back to their trainers, eyes flaring.

"Char!"

"Squirt!"

Skye beamed. "All right!" Becoming serious, she swallowed and ran over to the nearest Chansey. "Come on! We don't have any more time to waste!"

Briar stumbled a bit, chasing after her with Squirtle and Charmeleon in tow. "Right behind you!"

The work was hard. Stretcher after stretcher blurred by, ambulances pulling away when becoming too full. Forrest pulled rocks from the rockslide with steady care, his Pokemon keeping any more from tumbling over. Briar helped pull stretchers into the back of the ambulance, Skye bringing Pokemon Forrest had pulled from the wreckage to Chansey for immediate treatment.

The sun was setting. Skye's eyes stung and her feet ached, but she didn't stop for even a moment.

"Hey, calm down!"

Briar looked over at the sudden commotion, seeing Skye holding a Rattata down against a stretcher in a struggle.

"You're never going to get help if you can't keep still," Skye scolded, Rattata squirming under her grasp. Squirtle stood by Skye's side, his face dotted with concern.

"Raa!" Rattata cried, flailing desperately under her hands.

"What are you doing, Skye?" Briar asked quizzically.

Forrest glanced over his shoulder towards Skye and Briar. He gave a signal to his Pokemon before jogging over, out of breath. "Hey, how's it going?"

Skye flicked her eyes up at him with a huff before returning her attention back onto Rattata. "This Rattata is hurt," she explained, frustrated. "But it won't stay on the stretcher!"

"It's because you're being too rough with it," Briar pointed out harshly, turning away from his own stretcher. Charmeleon blinked and looked to Skye. "Let up a little!"

Skye glared over her shoulder at him. "But if I let up then it'll just run off again!" She looked back down to Rattata, pursing her lips as he continued to struggle. "Maybe if it stopped being so difficult…!"

Forrest glanced between the two, watching wordlessly. After a moment, he stepped forward. "Don't worry," he said, and Skye lifted her head. "I've got it."

"Huh?" Skye stepped aside in surprise as Forrest came to the stretcher. He gently put his hand on Rattata's back, petting it soothingly.

"The only reason that Rattata is being difficult is because he's afraid," he explained. Rattata twitched its nose, glancing up at Forrest warily.

Skye paused. "Afraid…?"

"Yeah." He smiled at her. "I think anyone would be scared if they went through what this Rattata went through today." He turned to Rattata, carefully scratching his ear. "It's all right, buddy. You're safe now." He offered a warm smile. "We just want to help you."

Rattata blinked sleepily a few times, his body losing tension as he closed his eyes and nuzzled against the palm of Forrest's hand. Skye's mouth gaped open.

"Hey, he stopped!"

Squirtle lit up. "Squirtle!"

Forrest eyed Skye with a smile. "As a Pokemon Trainer, it's important to be in tune to the feelings of Pokemon and to pay attention to their wants and needs." He looked to Rattata, who was pressed against his hand in a sleepy daze. "We have to be patient with each other. It's not always easy, but it's the only way trainers and Pokemon can link their hearts as one."

Skye stared at Rattata in silent awe, her eyes shining before she looked down at Squirtle beside her. He smiled up at her with the tilt of his head, and she couldn't help but smile, too.

"Hey!"

Forrest quickly looked over, and a worker cleared some dust from the air before coughing.

"I think we've got another Pokemon in here!" he called from the rockslide, and Forrest's eyebrows shot up in alarm.

"What?" His heart rate sped up. "No, that's not possible! I'm sure that my Pokemon and I got them all out safely! We triple checked!"

The worker looked back to the rocks. "Then you must've missed one, because I hear something calling from in there!"

Skye's face fell in shock. "There's still a Pokemon under there?!"

Briar bit the inside of his cheeks. "If it can't get out on its own, then it might be hurt!" He ran a hand through his hair in thought. "Maybe we should—!"

"We have to get it out!" Skye exclaimed, cutting off Briar before dashing over to the rocks.

Briar gasped, calling after her. "Skye, wait!"

"Hey! What do you think you're doing!?" Officer Jenny scolded.

Skye ignored her, crouching down and quickly pulling rocks from the wreckage. Following his trainer, Squirtle wobbled over to her in a hurry.

" _ Hold it!" _

Skye suddenly stopped, snapping her head back in surprise. Forrest jogged over to her, a hard look on his face.

"The rocks in this area are incredibly unstable right now," he pressed, and Skye's shoulders stiffened. "If you make even a single wrong move, the results could be disastrous." He pointed to the rock that she was about to pull, then lifted his finger upward. Skye trailed his gaze, and her face fell. The rocks above her were twitching, ready to collapse under the weight of the rock she held.

"A-ah…!" She quickly pulled her hands away, leaving the rock in place.

Squirtle took a step back, unsettled. "Squirtle…"

"I know you want to help," Forrest said, walking to her side. "But we're going to have to think this through." He looked over his surroundings, carefully observing every dent and crack. "We can't go into this blindly."

Skye pursed her lips into a hard line, rising to her feet. "We don't have that kind of time!" she spat. "If we don't act fast, then that Pokemon could be in even more danger!"

Forrest shot her a look, nodding to the rock she had tried to pull just moments ago. "And if we jump in without thinking, then we might only make matters worse."

Skye paused, glancing at the rock before scowling. She said nothing and looked down, frustrated.

Briar watched Skye with a frown before noticing Charmeleon walking away. "Hey! Charmeleon!" he perked up, turning to him. "Where are you going?"

Charmeleon sniffed the rocks, leaning in close. Pushing a few with his hands, he looked back at Briar and gestured for him to come over. "Charmeleon! Char!"

Briar glanced at the Chansey he was assisting before rushing over. "What is it?" he asked, bending down to get a better look. His mouth parted open, inhaling before snapping his head back to the others. "Hey! You guys!" He pointed to a little black hole hidden within the rocks. "I think we found an opening here!"

Forrest lifted his head. "What?" He ran over, a couple of workers and Officer Jenny staggering behind. "An opening?"

Skye quickly followed with Squirtle, stopping at Briar's side. "What do you mean an opening?"

"Charmeleon found it," Briar said, looking back to it. "It's small, but…" He glanced up at the others. "It looks like it goes in pretty deep. If we can somehow get inside, then we might be able to reach that Pokemon."

Forrest studied it carefully. "…But it's too small for any of us or the Pokemon working here to crawl through." He looked off to the side. "And moving the rocks around this area could end up being a hazard to the Pokemon that's trapped inside."

Briar winced, looking down. "I guess I didn't think of that…"

Skye just stared at the hole, focused. Realization hitting her, she burst into a grin.

"Hey! That hole's big enough for Squirtle to fit through!"

Forrest looked at her in alarm, and Briar faltered. "What? Squirtle?"

Squirtle perked up at his name before sinking back in fear. "Squirt?!"

"Yeah!" Skye affirmed, flashing a smile before crouching down to the hole. "It's just big enough for Squirtle to fit. He could crawl through, grab the Pokemon, and come right back out!" She lifted her head eagerly.

"It's not a good idea," Forrest cut in, and Skye looked at him in confusion. "These rocks are too unstable and Squirtle doesn't have enough experience dealing with this kind of environment," he continued, looking at Skye seriously. "If Squirtle messes up, the entire formation could collapse on top of it."

Squirtle flinched, sinking his head a bit into his shell. "Squirtle…"

"Forrest is right, Skye," Briar spoke up, turning to her. "It's not safe. We have to find another way."

"But Squirtle is strong," Skye countered, standing firm. "We don't have time to argue about this! Unless someone else has a better idea, Squirtle is our best bet! I know that if anyone can do it, he can!" She looked down at Squirtle, offering him a smile. "Right?"

Squirtle jumped a bit, jittery, before looking up at his trainer with a frown. "Squirt…" Shaking it off, he took a deep breath, pounding his fist to his chest in determination. "Squirtle!"

Forrest's eyes flickered between Squirtle and the rocks. It was muffled, but a small faraway cry reached him, and his heart rate picked up. Clenching his fists, he looked back to Skye with a nod.

"All right."

Skye's face lit up, and Briar's eyes widened. "What?!"

"Forrest, you can't be serious!" Officer Jenny cut in, taking a step forward. "Sending in a Pokemon like that is way too dangerous! I can't allow it!"

Forrest glanced back at her. "But what other option do we have?" he asked, turning back to Skye and Squirtle. "Skye is right. That Pokemon could be in immediate danger. It's our job to make sure that it gets out safe and sound." He inhaled. "There are risks, but the best we can do is try."

Officer Jenny didn't appear convinced, and Skye turned to her firmly, saying, "Please, Officer Jenny—you have to let us do this. That Pokemon needs us."

Officer Jenny flicked her gaze toward Skye before slowly trailing her eyes down at Squirtle, who straightened himself out. For a moment she said nothing, taking a deep breath before closing her eyes; "I'll allow it." Skye and Squirtle perked up and exchanged smiles before she became stern and added, "But if things turn bad, then Squirtle will need to pull out right away."

Skye clenched her hand into a fist. "Got it," she said. "We can do this!" She gave Squirtle a confident look. "It's go time, Squirtle!"

"Squirtle!" Squirtle said before looking into the hole. He hesitated before shoving his uneasiness down, climbing up some of the rocks before jumping into the hole.

Briar's face was twisted with concern. "This is a bad idea…" he murmured. Forrest watched wordlessly, his focus only on Squirtle.

"You got this, Squirtle!" Skye assured, paying Briar no attention. "Good luck!"

"Squirtle squirt!" Squirtle called back, wiggling through the tunnel. It was becoming darker and darker, and Squirtle felt his head swell. A soft rumble suddenly echoed through the rocks, and he tensed in nervousness, glancing back to the entrance.

"Chipaa!"

Squirtle blinked at the chirping noise faintly poking through the rocks. Gulping down the lump in his throat, he let out a "Squirt!" before crawling deeper into the tunnel.

A little white light seeped through a crack from above, and Squirtle squinted, coming to a stop when seeing a baby Pidgey nestled between some rocks. Noticing the odd bent shape of its leg, Squirtle hastily shimmied over.

"Squirtle!"

Pidgey looked over, surprised as Squirtle drew closer. He held out a hand to the Pidgey, his lips pursed as he managed to stay collected.

"Squirtle squirt!" Squirtle coaxed, reaching his hand further. Pidgey stared at his hand, unsettled. It perked up at more rumbling from above, and chirped in fright before struggling to hop over to Squirtle.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle smiled, gently taking the Pidgey and placing it carefully on top of his shell. Checking to make sure it was secure, he managed to turn himself around, confidently crawling his way towards the exit.

Briar watched steadily, his arms crossed nervously. "…Squirtle has been in there for an awfully long time," he noted. "What if something happened?"

Pursing her lips, Skye cupped her hands to her mouth. "Squirtle!" she called anxiously. "You okay in there, buddy?"

Nothing.

Skye tensed, and Briar turned to Forrest for some kind of assurance. Forrest opened his mouth to speak, but stopped suddenly, looking towards the hole.

"Squirtle!"

The voice was quiet and distant, but it was there. Skye lit up in relief, her body losing tension.

"He's all right…!"

Forrest kept his eyes on the hole, not quite ready to celebrate. There was a sound of crumbling, and Forrest quickly looked up, his eyes widening as some loose rocks started to tumble down the slope.

"Everyone, get back now!"

Skye and Briar looked over at the workers fumbling to get away, their faces falling when seeing the oncoming rocks. Briar went to run, but when Skye just stared, he grabbed her arm and yanked her to the side.

Acting quickly, Forrest pointed forward and called, "Steelix! Catch those rocks!"

Steelix reacted fast, snaking its way towards the collapsing slope with ease. He jutted his head forward, letting the rocks crash onto his skull. Steelix closed an eye with gritted teeth as it attempted to support their weight. "Lex…!"

Without hesitation, a nearby worker tossed his Poke Ball into the air. "Onix, go!"

"Rhyperior, you too!" another worker cried, throwing his own Poke Ball.

Onix and Rhyperior emerged from their Poke Balls, quick to aid Steelix in pressing against the rock formation to hold it together. Other workers and police officers sent in their Pokemon as well, desperate to keep any more rocks from sliding to the ground.

Charmeleon furrowed his brows. "Char!" he said, running towards the rocks and pushing against them with his hands.

Spotting some stray rocks toppling towards a group of workers from the corner of his eye, Briar quickly grabbed a Poke Ball from his pocket, tossing it out in front of him.

"Golduck, use Psychic!"

Golduck emerged from his Poke Ball and became firm. "Gol!" Obeying his trainer's orders, he lifted his hands, his eyes glowing blue. The rocks froze in midair, a blue light shining over them.

Skye stared up at them in silent awe, suddenly snapping back to reality when Forrest called, "Skye!" She inhaled and quickly looked over. "You've gotta get Squirtle out of there right now!"

Panic taking over, Skye looked to the hole with wide eyes. "Squirtle!" she cried. "You gotta move, Squirtle! Come on!"

Inside of the hole, Squirtle quickly looked around as the rocks surrounding him began to shake wildly. Small rocks began to fall from above him, and Squirtle felt himself tremble with anxiety.

Whimpering in fear, Pidgey covered its head with its wing, pressing harder against the back of Squirtle's shell.

Unsure of what to do, Squirtle darted his eyes back and forth in desperation. One wrong move, and everything was over. Squirtle froze up, tensing as he closed his eyes tightly. Suddenly, Skye's voice seeped through the cracks. She was calling out to him.

She believed in him.

Finding shaken courage, Squirtle shook away his fear and crawled to the small white light—to Skye.

Skye watched the hole, her breathing uneven. She was dizzy and weak, hope draining from her heart.

Suddenly, the rocks twitched, and Skye's breath caught. Appearing from the rubble, Squirtle popped his head out, Pidgey safely on his back.

"Squirt!"

Skye let out the breath she had been holding and felt her body lose tension. "S-Squirtle!"

The red jewel on Golduck's forehead began to flicker, becoming dimmer as it struggled to keep the rocks afloat. Golduck closed an eye, his arms shaking before he felt the weight buckle from underneath him. "…Duck!" The barrier shattered, and the rocks pierced through, tumbling down directly above Skye and Squirtle.

Briar felt his heart stop, looking over. "Skye! Move!"

Snapping her head up, Skye gasped before quickly pulling Squirtle and Pidgey from the hole and dashing forward. The ground was shaking, and Skye stumbled, tripping. She slid against the ground, a loud crash behind her. The Pokemon were in her arms, held tightly to her chest.

Skye winced, sitting up just the slightest and glancing down at her scraped elbows. After checking to make sure that Pidgey and Squirtle were both all right, she sat up fully, exhaling. Glancing behind her, Skye gasped and pushed herself back, the rock only inches away from her nose.

Squirtle held onto Pidgey, his eyes closed tightly. Opening an eye cautiously, he looked over at the fallen rocks. "Squirt?"

"Skye!" Briar called out, running over hurriedly with Charmeleon and Golduck. "Are you okay?!"

Skye said nothing, her body still as she stared at the rock. Her breathing was heavy, and Squirtle glanced up at her.

Briar stopped beside her, catching his breath. "…Skye?"

Squirtle frowned a bit, waiting as Skye kept her eyes forward. Suddenly, she lit up, tightening her grip on Squirtle as she lifted him into the air.

"You did it!" she beamed. "You totally scored!"

Squirtle blinked a few times before smiling back at his trainer, elated. "Squirtle!" He held Pidgey out triumphantly, who happily flapped its wings with a chirp.

Briar looked at the three, taken back and unsure of what to say before looking back to Charmeleon and Golduck with a smile.

Skye jumped to her feet, holding Squirtle high in the air with a grin. "You were so awesome! The star player of the day!"

Forrest watched from afar, turning back to the workers. "They're all out of safety!" he assured them. "Just focus on lowering those rocks slowly and carefully!" Shifting his attention back to Skye, he stayed quiet for a moment before making his way over to her.

"You know, I'm impressed," Forrest started, and Skye stopped, looking over. Forrest smiled, placing his hands on his hips as he looked down to Squirtle, Skye putting him back onto the ground. "You were really brave in there, Squirtle."

Squirtle lifted his head excitedly, holding the Pidgey out to him. "Squirt!"

"He's the strongest Pokemon I know!" Skye declared proudly, giving Squirtle a wink. "My Squirtle can do anything!"

Forrest took the Pidgey carefully from Squirtle, cradling it in its arms and examining its leg. "Is that so?"

Briar deadpanned. "Hey, don't get too cocky," he said, thumbing back to the rocks. "If Forrest and the other workers hadn't been there to stop those rocks from falling, then Squirtle could have been in serious trouble, you know."

Skye dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "But everything worked out fine, so there's no use worrying over the what ifs, right?" She smiled, looking down at Squirtle. "I knew Squirtle could do it all along! I'm sure that even if things got tough, Squirtle would have pulled through!"

Squirtle smiled back up at his trainer. "Squirtle!"

Giving up, Briar sighed before smiling, bending down to pet Squirtle on the head. Squirtle was safe, and that's what really counted.

Forrest watched Skye quietly, holding Pidgey close. He thoughtfully looked down at it, and the Pidgey looked up at him with the tilt of his head.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Skye perked up as she turned to Forrest, punching her fist out. "Now that everything is settled, I challenge you to a gym match!"

Briar's face fell, quickly looking to Skye in disbelief. " _ Skye! _ "

Forrest looked at her, taken back. "…Excuse me?"

"Squirtle and I have been preparing for this battle ever since we left Pallet Town," she said, knitting her brows together with a smile. "After today, Squirtle and I are ready now more than ever!"

Forrest said nothing, staring at Skye. Her eyes were full of fire and life, burning into him and lighting up his heart and spirit.

"Skye!" Briar hissed. "You can't just—!"

"All right, Skye," Forrest spoke up, and Briar stopped in surprise. "I accept your challenge."

Lighting up, Skye grinned as she pumped her first into the air. "Score!"

"We'll battle first thing tomorrow morning."

Skye faltered. "Tomorrow?"

"That's right." Forrest looked to the rocks. "I still have a lot that I need to take care of here." He offered her a smile. "Besides, I think that Squirtle deserves a good night's rest after all of the excitement he's had today."

Skye blinked, looking down at Squirtle. She couldn't help but smile, nodding before looking back to Forrest. "All right! We'll be ready first thing tomorrow morning!"

Forrest looked satisfied. "I look forward to it."

With the rocks beginning to clear, Skye and Briar decided to head back to the Pokemon Center, Forrest insisting that they had done more than enough. Waving goodbye, the two gave the rockslide one last look before setting their eyes on the skyline of Pewter City, the lights beaming up into the night sky.

"Tomorrow, huh?" Briar glanced at Skye, the rocks out of sight on the horizon. "It's not going to be easy, you know."

Skye smiled, Squirtle beside her. "I know," she started, looking more confident as she faced forward. "But after today, I'm sure we'll win!" She clenched her fists, eager as she began to run towards the edge of the city.

"Squirtle and I will totally, totally, win!"

* * *

**_April 8th, 2034. Morning. Pewter City, Kanto._ **

' _ Pewter City Gym' _

The two looked up at the rock sign, the gym towering over Skye as if she was small. Briar glanced at her before looking to the door, remembering how he felt when he stepped into a contest hall for the first time.

"So, this is it, huh?"

Skye inhaled deeply before showing him a confident smile. "Yeah—the place where I'm gonna score my first gym badge!"

Briar stared at the gym a moment longer before looking back to Skye. "Are you sure you're ready for this, Skye?"

"Of course!" Skye declared, putting her hands on her hips. "I've been preparing for this ever since I left home!" She looked at Briar with confidence. "I've never felt more ready!"

Briar blinked a few times before letting out a huff and smiling. "All right." His smile grew as he furrowed his brows. "Then give it your all."

Skye grinned and gave him a thumbs-up, running forward and pushing the doors open. "Hey, Forrest!" she called, the light from behind her shadowing the gym's entrance. "It's Skylar Ketchum, and I'm here for my gym battle!"

Forrest sat on a rock pillar at the opposite side of the entrance, raising his brows and smiling at Skye. "It's about time you showed up." Rising to his feet, he hopped off of the pillar and crossed his arms. "I almost thought you bailed."

"Not in a million years," Skye retorted, punching her fist forward. "I was just preparing for my victory, that's all!"

Forrest looked at her with fire. "You've got the right spirit—but don't get ahead of yourself just yet. A battle can't be determined until its final moment."

Skye clenched her fist. "Then what are we standing around for? Let's get started!"

Forrest smiled confidently. "I couldn't agree more."

Briar looked at Skye. "I'm gonna head up into the stands." He held out his fist to her. "Knock 'em dead, Skye."

Skye lit up at his hand, bumping her fist against his. "Count on it!"

After Briar turned and walked up the stairs leading into the bleachers, Forrest turned his attention back to Skye. "This way," he said with a wave of his hand before pushing through the double doors leading to the battlefield. "This is the Pewter City Gym."

Skye could feel her blood rushing through her as she walked through the doors and stared at the battlefield, her eyes shining in determination. The field was spotted with large boulders and the ground covered in dirt, white lines painted across the surface.

"The perfect place for me to get my first badge!" Skye beamed.

"Your first badge, huh?" Forrest repeated, walking across the field to his trainer box. He turned to face her. "All right, I know just what Pokemon to use, then."

The referee stood on a rock to the side, looking between the two. "The Pewter City Gym battle between Gym Leader Forrest Harrison and challenger Skylar Ketchum of Pallet Town will now begin!" he started. "You may use two Pokemon each, and only the challenger will be allowed to substitute their Pokemon during the battle. As soon as one party's Pokemon is unable to battle, the match is over."

"All right, then!" Forrest called. "I'll show my Pokemon first! Let's go, Geodude!" Throwing his Poke Ball into the air, a white light broke out and Geodude appeared before them, flexing.

"Geo!"

"A Geodude, huh?" Skye smiled confidently. "Okay!" Taking out her Poke Ball, she tossed it forward. "Nidoran, offense!"

The Poke Ball opened and Nidoran jumped out. "Nido!" she cried, landing onto the field.

"Skye, do your best!" Briar cheered from the bleachers, his hands cupping his mouth.

The referee raised his hands, his face firm. "Start the battle!"

"Since this is your first gym battle, I'll let you have the first move, Skye!" Forrest offered, his arms crossed.

Skye grinned. "I'll make you regret that!" she said, punching forward. "Nidoran, let's get started with a Scratch attack!"

"Nido!" Nidoran said, furrowing her brows and pouncing forward.

"Geodude, use Roll Out to dodge!" Forrest commanded.

"Dude!" Geodude cried before jumping up into the air. He curled himself into a ball, landing back to the ground, swiftly rolling out of the way when Nidoran was just a few inches in front of him.

Nidoran's eyes widened in surprise as she came to a sudden stop, looking around in confusion. "Ni?"

Taken back by Geodude's swift movements, Skye gasped. She watched as he quickly rolled away before suddenly changing his path and darting straight for Nidoran. "Nidoran, behind you!" she warned.

Nidoran blinked and looked behind her. "Ran?" But before she got the chance to move, Geodude roughly rolled into her, sending her skidding across the battlefield. "Ni!"

Skye's eyes widened. "Nidoran, are you alright?!"

Nidoran winced before inhaling and rising back to her feet with a confident nod, watching as Geodude kept wildly rolling around the field.

"Good work, Geodude!" Forrest praised.

"Skye!" Briar called from the stands, gripping the railing. "Be careful! Roll Out is a move that gets stronger with every hit the faster it goes!"

Skye scowled, clenching her fists before letting out a huff as Forrest smiled at her. "Then we're just gonna have to stop it before it can get any faster!" she said, thrusting her fist forward. "Nidoran, go head-on with a Double Kick!"

Nidoran kept her eyes on Geodude. "Nidoran!" she yelled before lunging forward, her hind legs out. She collided with Geodude, kicking him once, then twice, until he broke apart from his hold with a cry of pain.

Forrest let out a gasp as Geodude took the hit. "Geodude!"

"All right!" Skye gushed, pulling her fist back.

Forrest shook off his initial alarm before pointing a finger forward. "Geodude, use Rock Throw!" he ordered.

Perking up, Geodude shook off his pain and became stern. "Dude!" he cried before slamming his fists into the ground. Upon impact, several rocks flew up from the ground, shooting right towards Nidoran.

"Nidoran, dodge that!" Skye alerted.

"Nido!" Nidoran quickly skidded out of the way, running in zig zags as the rocks fell around her. Skye's eyes shined in satisfaction.

"Now use Double Kick again!"

Without hesitation, Nidoran lunged forward, obeying Skye's orders as she kicked Geodude squarely in the forehead. Geodude grunted, and before Forrest got the chance to order a counter attack, Nidoran struck again, sending Geodude slamming onto his back.

"Geodude!" Forrest called.

Geodude struggled to get back up, his body wobbly as he tried to pull his weight before collapsing in exhaustion.

"Geodude is unable to battle!" The referee declared, throwing his hand into the air before pointing it in Skye's direction. "Nidoran wins!"

Skye's face lit up and she began jumping up and down, throwing her fists into the air. "All right, all right!" she cheered loudly. "We did it, Nidoran! One down, one to go!"

Nidoran closed her eyes, smiling proudly as she stomped her foot against the ground in triumph. "Nido!"

Forrest sighed with a smile, holding out Geodude's Poke Ball. "Geodude, return!" he commanded as a red light absorbed Geodude back into his ball. He looked at the Poke Ball warmly. "You did well."

Skye grinned, looking up to Briar in the stands. "Hey, Briar! Did you see that?" she asked before smiling slyly. "Are you still doubting me now?"

Holding onto the railing in front of him, Briar leaned over, furrowing his brows. "The battle isn't over yet, Skye!" he warned. "You've gotta stay on your toes!"

Skye closed her eyes, rubbing her nose. "Yeah, yeah! I hear ya!" she dismissed.

Forrest returned his focus onto Skye, offering her a smile. "Well, Skye, I have to say that I'm impressed," he praised, slipping Geodude's Poke Ball back into his pocket. "I wasn't expecting you to take out my Geodude so quickly."

Skye punched her fist forward. "What can I say? I told you my Pokemon and I are a good team! You're gonna be handing over that badge in no time flat!"

Forrest chucked. "I thought I told you before," he said, enlarging his second Poke Ball and holding it out in front of him. "A battle isn't over until its final moment!" He threw the Poke Ball out onto the field. "Go, Rhydon!"

There was a bright flash of light before Rhydon appeared on the field, letting out a powerful roar as he stared at Nidoran with fierce eyes.

Nidoran flinched and nervously took a step backwards. "Nido…"

Skye's eyes widened as she stared at the Pokemon before her. "A Rhydon…?" she murmured, reaching into her back pocket and pulling out her Pokedex.

" _Rhydon. The Drill Pokemon, and the evolved form of Rhyhorn._ _Protected by an armor-like hide, it can survive in lava over 3,600 degrees. Its horn can bore holes through boulders._ "

"Skye, be careful!" Briar warned loudly from the stands, his hands cupped around his mouth. "You have to watch out for Rhydon's horn! It's dangerous!"

Skye watched as Rhydon rapidly spun the horn on his head before scoffing and closing her eyes as she slipped her Pokedex back into her pocket. "I've got it, I've got it!" she assured, and Briar scrunched his nose in annoyance. Smiling confidently, Skye focused her mind back onto the battle. "We'll just take out Rhydon the same way we took out Geodude!" she decided, pointing forward. "Double Kick!"

Nidoran obeyed and leapt forward, but Forrest didn't flinch, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Rock Blast!"

Curling his fists, Rhydon let out a cry as several rocks appeared in a ring around his body in a white glow. Pushing his fist forward, a single rock flew toward Nidoran, and then another.

Nidoran gasped, the rocks ramming into her body and striking her hard against the wall. She shrieked in pain, sliding down to the ground and collapsing onto her side.

Skye gasped, her eyes widening as she watched her Pokemon crash. "Nidoran!" she cried, running over to her fallen Pokemon.

The referee raised his arm. "Nidoran is unable to battle!" He then pointed towards Rhydon. "Rhydon wins!"

Briar stared on in amazement from the bleachers, tightening his grip on the railing in front of him. "That was just one attack…"

Skye frowned, crouching down to Nidoran before taking out her Poke Ball. "Nidoran, thank you. Take a good rest," she said, returning her fainted Pokemon. She stared at the Poke Ball for a moment before cracking a confident smile. "You played well for a rookie."

She rose to her feet, slipping the Poke Ball back into her pocket as she made her way back to the trainer box. Forrest watched on carefully as Skye pulled out her second Poke Ball, enlarging it and holding it out in front of her. "It's time to bring out the real MVP!" she said, throwing the Poke Ball onto the field. "Squirtle, offense!"

Emerging from his Poke Ball, Squirtle crossed his arms. "Squirtle!" he cried. Rhydon didn't falter.

"So, you've finally brought out Squirtle," Forrest commented, his smile growing more confident. "I've been waiting for this little guy."

Skye grinned. "And now you really get to see him in action!" she said before punching forward. "Now let's finish this! Tackle, Squirtle!"

Squirtle smiled in determination, letting out a "Squirt!" before charging forward.

"Horn Attack, Rhydon!"

Briar inhaled sharply as he watched Rhydon lower his head to Squirtle's level. "Skye, watch out!"

But it was too late. Rhydon jutted his head forward, slamming his horn into Squirtle's stomach and sending him backwards.

Squirtle yelled out, and Skye's eyes widened in shock.

"Squirtle!"

Squirtle landed on the ground with a 'thud', wincing in pain before he attempted to struggle to rise back to his feet. "Squirt…"

"Squirtle, are you okay!?" Skye asked from the trainer box.

Squirtle furrowed his brows, staring dizzily at the large Pokemon that stood across the field from him. He took a deep breath before quickly jumping back to his feet. "Squirt!"

Relieved, Skye grinned. "Okay, then! Tackle again!"

Squirtle faltered, blinking in surprise as he turned his head back to his trainer in confusion. "Squirtle?"

Briar's mouth gaped open. "Again?!"

"Rock Blast!" Forrest ordered suddenly.

Rhydon let out a powerful roar, a ring of white rocks emerging around him before they burst from the ground, heading right towards Squirtle.

Skye scrunched her brows in confusion at Squirtle's hesitation. "Squirtle, what—!" She stopped, her eyes catching the rocks. "Squirtle, dodge!" she gasped.

Quickly turning his attention forward again, Squirtle let out a yelp of fear as he saw the cluster of rocks heading towards him. He quickly jumped out of the way, but faltered when feeling a rock graze his arm. Wincing in pain, Squirtle gripped his injured arm with his hand. Forrest observed Squirtle's actions closely, knitting his brows together as Squirtle stumbled just the slightest.

Skye took no notice of her Pokémon's injury, simply smiling in satisfaction at Squirtle being able to dodge the attack. "All right, good!" she praised before pointing forward. "Now let's counter rock with water! Water Gun!"

Quickly shaking off the pain, Squirtle straightened out, letting out a "Squirtle!" before inhaling and sending a jet of water from his mouth. Rhydon didn't bother to dodge, and Squirtle managed to land a direct hit in his center.

"Score! A direct hit!" Skye said with a grin, throwing her fist into the air.

Rhydon closed his eyes, furrowing his brows as Squirtle continued to soak him. When the stream of water stopped, Forrest cracked a smile and Rhydon opened his eyes, glaring sharply at Squirtle before letting out a powerful roar.

Squirtle's eyes widened and he flinched in fear, taking a step backwards. "Squirt…!"

Skye's celebration came to a halt, her mouth falling open in shock. "W-what?"

"It barely flinched!" Briar said in amazement.

"But… how is that possible!?" Skye stammered. "Rock-types are supposed to be  _ weak _ to water-types!"

Forrest crossed his arms with a knowing smile. "You always have to expect the unexpected in a gym match, Skye." he said. "I've specially trained my rock-type Pokemon to be able to stand up against water-type attacks!"

Skye's eyes widened and Squirtle stared at Rydon in fear. "B-but…!"

Forrest's confident grin grew wider. "And our defenses aren't the only water counter we have up our sleeves." Pushing his hand forward, he yelled, "Rhydon, use Thunderbolt!"

Stomping his foot into the ground, Rhydon omitted a powerful roar. Tilting his head to the ceiling, a yellow ball of electricity formed at the tip of his horn. Lowering his head, he glared at Squirtle, and all Skye could do was watch helplessly as the electrical shock blasted from Rhydon's horn and struck Squirtle with a powerful jolt.

Squirtle let out a loud cry of pain as his body was engulfed in the yellow glow of the electrical shock. Once it faded, he collapsed to the ground.

The referee watched carefully, and Skye scowled. "Squirtle!" she called to him, swiping her hand in front of her. "Squirtle, come on! Shake it off! I know you can!"

Squirtle pulled himself up on one elbow, squinting his eyes to get a clearer look at the Rhydon standing before him. Rhydon looked untouched, and Squirtle was too exhausted to even lift himself back up fully.

Skye's calls to him were distant and scrambled. He felt guilty and heavy-but there was nothing more he could do. Giving out, he collapsed to the ground.

The referee lifted his arm into the air. "Squirtle is unable to battle!" he declared, pointing towards Forrest. "The winner of this match is Forrest Harrison, the Pewter City Gym Leader!"

Skye said nothing, staring at Squirtle as the rest of the field turned black and empty. She couldn't feel her legs, unable to move as her heartbeat in her head muffled out all other noise.

She had waited for this day, dreamed for this day.

Everything had broken.

" _ Squirtle!" _

* * *

… _ And the journey continues! _


	5. Brock's Prescription

**_April 8th, 2034. Noon. Pewter City, Kanto._ **

The Pokemon Center was buzzing. Between the aftermath of the rockslide and the first week of the training season coming to its end, things were hectic. Trainers sat in apprehension, many with their Pokemon in hand, waiting for treatment. The TV flashed brightly in the lobby, some trainers letting the League updates distract them from the crazy atmosphere.

Skye stood away from the crowd in a corner, drumming her fingers impatiently against the base of the video phone. Her eyes were averted from the screen in agitation as her father spoke to her through the speaker.

" _ I remember my first gym match, _ " Ash mused, rubbing his jawline thoughtfully. " _ I lost pretty badly, too." _

Skye couldn't bring herself to look at her father in the eye, pursing her lips into a hard line.

Following her loss at the Pewter City Gym, Skye and Briar had rushed to the nearest Pokemon Center so that Squirtle and Nidoran could get treatment—but when they ran through the doors they were greeted by a massive amount of trainers with injured Pokemon, and the two had been forced to wait.

Skye had tried watching TV for a bit with Briar, but clenched her fists in her lap when seeing a familiar face light up the screen. Sucking in her cheeks, she rose to her feet and went to the phone, suddenly needing to hear her father's voice. But all of her words were tangled, and the comfort she called for felt like shame at her failure when seeing his face.

" _ Man, I was totally bummed," _ Ash continued, sighing in remembrance. " _ Pikachu and I had trained really hard for that battle—when we lost, I didn't know what to do" _

Skye felt her shoulders stiffen, clenching her fists by her sides. The image of Squirtle encased in electric energy as he fell to the ground played in her mind over and over again. She felt weak, discouraged, and embarrassed.

Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder, and Ash glanced over at him with a smile before scratching under his chin.  _ "But we didn't give up, _ " he said with a grin." _ We did some special training, and we went back to that gym with brand new energy! We—!" _

Skye inhaled sharply. "But unlike you, I had the advantage," she cut in shortly. Ash paused in surprise, and Pikachu frowned, folding back his ears. Skye looked to the floor, frustrated. "I didn't need any special training—I just completely blew it."

Ash stayed quiet for a moment, studying the defeated look on his daughter's face. He couldn't help but remember sitting on the floor of Flint's cabin, Pikachu laying weak and injured in front of him. After a moment, he smiled sympathetically.

" _ I know it hurts, Skye. It always hurts to lose."  _ He looked more confident, clenching his fist.  _ "Which is why you have to turn that feeling into power. _ "

" _ Pika! _ " Pikachu chirped, clenching his fist as well.

"I don't know how," Skye responded impatiently. "I just…" She sucked in her cheeks, her eyes on the ground. "…I don't know what went wrong."

She had been winning this whole time. She and Squirtle were a team—the two of them aiming for the top side-by-side. But she had not only lost to the Gym Leader, but she had lost to Lizzie, too. Lizzie and Skye had started at the same time—they should have been equal.

But they weren't.

It was common for cities with Pokemon Gyms to broadcast gym battles on local television. While waiting to have her Pokemon healed, Skye had caught the end of Lizzie's gym match on the Pokemon Center's TV. She watched on as Chimchar struck the Rhydon she had failed to defeat with a powerful Dig attack, knocking it to the ground. Moments later, Lizzie took her first badge in her hand, and Skye shrunk in her seat.

She was already behind. Lizzie was ahead of her, and she was swallowed by her shadow.

Skye scowled in frustration, pressing her palm to her forehead. "There's gotta be something I'm just not getting."

" _ A good trainer should always be with their Pokemon after a battle," _ Ash pointed out gently.  _ "Sitting around and moping by yourself won't get you anywhere—you need to figure out what to do next together. You and your Pokemon are a team, after all. _ "

When Skye didn't budge, Ash let out a small huff, cracking a smile. " _ Isn't it kind of like your soccer games? _ " he suggested, catching Skye's attention. " _ You've gotta be able to practice hard and work together to win without ever giving up—otherwise, you'll just fall short to the other teams. _ "

Skye's eyes widened and she felt her body freeze as Ash's words sunk into her mind. He was right. She couldn't believe she didn't realize it sooner—this really was no different from soccer.

Lizzie, the gym leaders, and any other trainers who came her way were all the opposing teams. She would lose, and she would get frustrated, but that was no reason to give up. And she couldn't do it on her own—she would need the support and skills of her entire team to win the game. If they were ever going to beat their competition, they would just have to keep practicing until their bones ached. That's how she always did things—this shouldn't be any different.

Skye said nothing for a moment, letting her new thoughts sink in. But suddenly, she became firm and looked Ash in the eyes for the first time. "I have to go."

Ash reeled back in surprise, but then he seemed to notice the fire inside Skye's eyes and grinned. " _ Okay—knock 'em dead, kiddo! _ " he encouraged, flashing her a thumbs-up.

With that, the screen went black, and Skye's expression remained firm as she stared at her reflection in the glass. Her father was right. She couldn't just mope and let Lizzie keep passing her. She didn't know how she was going to win, but she knew the best start was to develop a new game-plan alongside her teammates.

"Was that your Dad?"

Skye paused when noticing Briar approaching her, his reflection appearing behind her own in the glass. She spun on her heel to face him fully, catching him off guard.

"Briar," she said suddenly, ignoring his question. "What did Nurse Joy say?"

Briar frowned and help up his hands. "The Pokemon Center is a mess—Nurse Joy still can't take them yet," he explained, eyeing the counter behind them.

Skye grew agitated. She felt like she was just wasting time. "How long did she say it would be?" she asked, her voice dripping with irritation.

Briar hesitated. "Another hour, at least."

Skye's eyes widened. "An hour—!" She glared, feeling her temper begin to spike. "But my Pokemon are hurt! They need medical care  _ now _ !"

"And so does every other Pokemon here," Briar reminded her, and Skye snapped her head away with a scowl. He sighed and offered her a smile. "How about I grab you something to eat while we wait?"

Skye said nothing, her eyes averted and her face red. Briar watched her for a moment before making his way over to the vending machines wordlessly. He remembered how he had felt the first time he lost, and a tasty snack was always guaranteed at least one smile.

Skye stood there, unmoving until Briar was out of sight. Huffing, she turned on her heel, but then stopped mid-step, her breath catching.

Lizzie was at the counter, Nurse Joy handing her a room key. She bowed before adjusting the strap of her bag, turning and noticing Skye. Their eyes locked, and Lizzie said nothing as she watched her through the moving crowd of people. Skye stood still, her body tense. She fumbled to step forward, but Lizzie turned her back to her, and she became lost in the crowd.

"Watch it!"

Skye gasped, snapping back to reality as she was bumped and shoved out of the way. Making a face, she stumbled out of the flow of traffic, quickly turning back to where Lizzie had been—but she was gone.

Pursing her lips, she slowly sat down on a bench by the wall, fisting her hands in her lap.

Across the lobby, Nurse Joy looked worried as she paced behind the counter, rushing between computers, telephones and file cabinets. The Pokemon couldn't seem to stop coming, and the stress was weighing down on her. It was then the double doors of the center slid open, catching her attention as she looked over to see a man walking towards her.

"Doctor Harrison," she breathed in relief. "I'm so happy to see you."

Brock approached the counter, flashing a smile. "Hey, I couldn't pass up the chance to save the day," he joked, placing a box on the countertop. "There won't be any sad faces if I can help it."

Nurse Joy smiled, opening the box and lighting up when looking inside. "This is perfect," she said, looking back up at him. "I can't thank you enough." She frowned, glancing to the backroom. "It's been so hectic here. Our supplies have unexpectedly run low…"

"Those medicines should last until tomorrow," Brock assured her. "And the berries can be used to help the Pokemon still waiting."

"Thank you," Nurse Joy said gratefully, bowing. "I can always count on you."

"It's what I'm here for," Brock said with a laugh. Just then, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye, and a smile tugged at his lips. "If you'll excuse me, there's another patient I have to attend to."

Skye stared at the ground, her expression dull as she pulled Squirtle's Poke Ball out of her pocket. There was nothing she could do until she knew her Pokemon were okay—together they would somehow figure out what to do next. Gripping the edge of the bench, she found herself wondering where next was for Lizzie.

"By my diagnosis, someone appears to have a bad case of the blues."

Skye's face scrunched in confusion upon hearing the familiar voice—there was only one person she knew who would say something like that. Lifting her head, she raised her brows in surprise.

"Uncle Brock—!"

"The one and only," Brock beamed, stepping in front of her. "I'd heard from your Dad that you left Pallet last week—so I was wondering when I'd run into you."

Skye blinked a few times before offering a small smile. "I was planning to visit you after I…" She knitted her brows together, the memory of her gym battle returning to her, and she glanced away, her sentence unfinished.

Brock watched her for a moment before smiling knowingly. "You know, a certain trainer I fought for his first badge had a look on his face just like that when he lost," he commented, remembering how defeated Ash appeared as he scooped Pikachu into his arms.

Skye became flustered, sitting up straight. "How did you…?"

"Call it doctor's intuition." He laughed lightly before adding, "And Forrest told me."

Skye sunk in her seat a bit. "Oh." She lowered her voice. "Then I guess you know how I totally messed up," she murmured, looking down towards the Poke Ball she held in her hand.

Brock sighed and crossed his arms. "Hey, everyone messes up," he said, and Skye looked away bitterly. Brock then offered her a gentle smile. "But, you know, Forrest also told me about the rock slide— _ that _ wasn't a total mess up."

Skye said nothing as her grip on the Poke Ball tightened. When no response came out of her, Brock asked, "Have your Pokemon been treated yet?"

Skye pursed her lips in frustration. "No," she responded. "I'm stuck waiting for at least another hour."

"Hmm," he hummed thoughtfully, putting a hand to his chin. "Then I guess the only solution is for me to treat them myself."

Skye quickly raised her head to look at him. "Huh?"

"Why don't you come back to my place?" Brock offered warmly. "I'll heal up your Pokemon for you." He put a hand to his chest proudly. "And with my special Pokemon food, I know they'll be fighting fit for your gym rematch."

Skye stared, taking in his offer before looking down to her Poke Ball. Knowing she couldn't sit still any longer, she gripped her Poke Ball and jumped to her feet, a confident smile beginning to form on her face.

"Okay! I'll take you up on that offer!"

Brock grinned, placing his hands on his hips with a laugh. "That's the kind of attitude I like to see!"

"Skye," Briar called out suddenly, gaining the attention of Brock and Skye as he jogged over to them. He panted a bit, bending down to catch his breath. "There you are! Man, this place really is packed." He stood up straight, a candy bar in hand. "I got you a—!" He paused when noticing Brock, who offered him a wave, and Briar's face twisted in confusion. "—What's going on?"

"Briar!" Skye exclaimed, and he turned to her in alarm. "What took you so long?" She flashed him a grin. "Come on—we're ditching this place!"

* * *

**_April 8th, 2034. Noon. Route 3, Kanto._ **

Brock pulled up to his house, a lone cottage nestled comfortably just outside the Kanto mountain range. After years of medical practice and work at various Pokemon Centers all over Kanto, Brock had made the decision to open up his own Pokemon clinic. He chose a remote area, away from the rush of the city, where he would be able to help wild Pokemon and weary travelers—his house an oasis in the midst of hard travel. The vast amount of land that surrounded his home was good for growing berries and herbs that could be used for medicine and food, offering the Pewter City Pokemon Center help when needed.

Briar looked around in awe as the three stepped out of the car and walked to the door front door, noticing the large gardens and ranch. The gardens burst with color from berries, a Marshtomp watering a nearby plant. A Miltank lay in the yard in a bed of flowers, asleep.

"I'm home!" Brock called as he pushed the door open.

The inside of the house was just as Skye had remembered. It was cozy, dozens of pictures framed on the wall of Brock's family and friends—some even from his traveling days. Skye couldn't help but smile when noticing a photo of Brock with her parents when the three of them were younger.

"Welcome home!"

A young woman with short, red hair walked into the room. She was smoothing down the apron she was wearing, but then perked up when seeing Skye and Briar.

"Oh, Skye and Briar!" she said cheerfully, clapping her hands together. "What a nice surprise!"

Skye grinned and saluted greeting. "Hey, Aunt Autumn!"

Autumn was a young girl who Brock had met while traveling through the Sinnoh region with Ash in their youth. At the time, she was a clumsy and stubborn waitress working at a maid café who just couldn't seem to get along with her Miltank. Brock had managed to help her out, and by the end of things, she and Miltank got along just fine. Years later, Autumn had come to the Kanto region, wanting to learn what she could about Pokemon Nursing. It was then she had bumped into Brock once again, becoming close ever since.

"How are you, Mrs. Harrison?" Briar asked politely as she approached them. "It's been a long time."

"I'm doing well—thank you, Briar," Autumn said, laughing and putting a hand to her mouth. "It  _ has _ been a while, hasn't it?" She then put a hand on Skye's head, gushing. "You both look so grown-up!"

Skye went red, flustered. "I  _ am _ grown-up," she countered, and Autumn giggled as she retracted her hand.

"Why don't I grab you and Briar a nice, cold glass of Moo Moo Milk?" She closed her eyes proudly, placing her hands on her hips. "It's the house specialty!"

Skye lit up, forgetting all about her prior agitations, and fisted the air. "All right!" She turned to Briar with a grin. "The Moo Moo Milk here is a total score!"

Briar smiled, raising a brow before turning to Autumn and bowing his head slightly. "I'd love a glass—thank you."

With that, Autumn disappeared into the kitchen, and Brock watched before turning to Briar and Skye. "In the meantime, let's get your Pokemon treated."

Skye blinked a few times in remembrance. "O-oh! Right," she said quickly, pulling her Poke Balls from her pocket and placing them in Brock's hands. She frowned. "Please take care of them."

Brock flashed her a smile. "They're in good hands," he assured before gesturing to the sofa. "Now you two make yourselves at home."

Skye nodded a bit, slowly sitting down on the sofa as Briar took a seat beside her. Brock raised an eyebrow at the two with a smile before turning the corner and walking down the hall.

Skye pursed her lips, glancing in the direction he left. Her mood shifted, her somber feelings resurfacing inside of her, but she at least felt a sense of comfort that her Pokemon were in the hands of a doctor like Brock.

Suddenly, a small object was waved in front of Skye's face, and she gasped in surprise, leaning back.

"Here," Briar said, waving the candy bar he held in his hand. "It's your favorite, right?"

Skye became a bit flustered before snatching the candy bar and turning her head away. "Thanks," she muttered, opening it messily. Taking a bite, she paused before chewing more slowly, her shoulders losing tension. Briar huffed, smiling knowingly.

"Two glasses of Moo Moo Milk!" Autumn chimed, reentering the room.

Skye swallowed her last piece of candy before turning to Autumn, her eyes lighting up. Autumn had a bounce in her step as she made her way over, but suddenly inhaled and stumbled, her foot catching on a toy ball on the floor.

"A-ah—!"

Skye's face fell as the cups toppled off of the tray and spilled on sofa. The milk splattered onto her legs and shirt, and Briar quickly slid away to avoid contact.

Autumn jolted back up, her face pale. "I-I'm sorry!" she squeaked apologetically. She ruffled her hair angrily. "I'm such a klutz!" Frowning, she looked to Skye apologetically. "Hold on, let me get you a towel!" She ran off, almost tripping as she slid into the next room.

Skye sat there, dripping. She scrunched her nose. "She's the same as ever…"

Briar snickered, and Skye glowered at him, opening her mouth to yell before the front door opened.

"Is Dad back?" a boy asked as he slipped off his shoes. He held a basket of fresh berries in his hand, and paused when noticing Skye on the sofa. "—Skye, is that you?"

Skye dropped her anger upon hearing the familiar voice and looked over, perking up. "Oh, Conner!" She grinned. "It's been a while, huh?" She closed her eyes. "I'd even say you've gotten bigger—though not by much."

Conner was the second son of Brock and Autumn. He was a dry-humored boy--sharp, yet sincere. Skye had often picked at him when they were younger, Conner less than thrilled to see her in his living room.

Conner puffed his cheeks out. "I'm not  _ that  _ much younger than you are," he countered, and Skye shot him a wry smile.

"But who has a Pokemon and who doesn't?"

Conner's face fell in disbelief. "Wha?" he gawked, pointing a finger at her. "You got a Pokemon?!"

"Obviously," Skye said with a proud smile. "I  _ am _ ten, after all." She leaned against the back of the sofa casually, crossing her legs. "I even picked the strongest one of the bunch." She shot him a sly smile. "Bet you're jealous, huh?"

Conner's face heated before he groaned in frustration. "Shut up," he spat bitterly, closing the door behind him. "You're lucky Leigh isn't here—he'd totally kick your butt with  _ his _ Pokemon. Then we'd see how strong you are."

"But he isn't here," Skye reminded him. "Besides, even if he was, I could take him—he's always been kind of a scatterbrain," she dismissed, and Briar glanced at her, unconvinced. Craning an eyebrow, she asked, "How  _ is _ the spaz, anyways?"

Conner looked unamused, placing the berries on to the table. He let out a breath, shaking her off. "Great, actually." He smiled at the thought of his older brother. "He's in Hoenn right now—he sends back cool souvenirs all the time."

"Is he still doing that Pokemon food stuff?" Skye asked.

"Pokemon Cooking?" Conner suggested, letting out a proud huff. "Yeah—and he's one of the best!"

Leigh was the oldest of the Harrison family. He and his Miltank had taken off a few years prior in order to pursue Pokemon Cooking Competitions—a competitive circuit where Chefs worked alongside their Pokemon partners to create the finest cuisine they could. Leigh had left home with the determination to win those competitions, having the hopes of opening up his own Pokemon Bakery one day.

Skye grinned. "He'd better be! Otherwise I'd have to knock some sense into him!" Conner let out a dry laugh, and Skye looked up, musing. "Maybe I'll run into him one of these days..."

"That would be unlucky of him," Conner said plainly, and Skye glared at him, only for him to smirk at her. "Anyways, I heard you lost to Uncle Forrest."

Skye became flustered. "So what?" She clenched her fist. "It just means I'm going to work even harder and win!"

"I kind of thought you'd be torn about it," Conner admitted. "I was hoping to see a breakdown."

Skye stuck her tongue out at him. "No way," she said. "I can't let myself fall behind!"

Conner looked unimpressed, but then sighed with a small smile. Briar gave Skye a sideways glance, a bit surprised at how fired up she was despite her glum demeanor earlier that morning. He couldn't help but wonder what the cause was for her sudden ignition.

"I have towels!" Autumn declared as she stepped back into the room, and Skye looked over. Autumn began making her way to her, but paused when noticing Conner. "Oh, honey, you're back!" She smiled. "How was your walk?"

Conner raised his brows before returning a smile. "It was good," he said, and Skye scrunched her nose, still waiting for a towel.

"Did you get the berries?"

Conner nodded to the basket. "Uh-huh."

"And check on the Miltank?"

"Sure did."

"What about—!"

"Uh, Aunt Autumn?" Skye spoke up, interrupting their conversation as she motioned to her dampened shirt.

Autumn gasped in remembrance and spun back to her. "Oh, right! The towel!" She handed it over to Skye cheerfully, who took it and smudged her shirt dry. Autumn used the other towel she had in-hand to start drying off the sofa and floor.

Conner turned his attention back over to his mother. "I saw Dad's car—is he back?"

"He's treating my Pokemon," Skye cut in, tossing the towel onto Briar's head. Briar peeked out of it, annoyed, before tossing it aside.

"Why don't you bring him your berries?" Autumn suggested, holding up a finger. "I'm sure he could use them."

Conner perked up, retrieving his berries from off of the table. "On it!"

Skye watched him disappear into the next room, leaning back on the sofa when he was gone. Blinking, she noticed Autumn put down two new cups of Moo Moo Milk.

"Here," Autumn said, offering Skye a smile. "Your fresh glass of Moo Moo Milk."

Lighting up, Skye grabbed it and gulped it down, letting out a noise of satisfaction as she slammed the empty glass on to the table. "That really hit the spot!"

"Nice mustache," Briar pointed out with a tease as he picked up his own glass. Skye looked confused before crossing her eyes to glance down at her mouth, catching sight of what Briar was referring to. Becoming flustered, she wiped away the white stain of milk from above her lips and Briar snickered, sipping his drink.

An hour passed. Skye and Briar sat in wait in the Harrison's living room, Briar conversing politely with Autumn about his coordinating and her work at the clinic. Skye, however, couldn't seem to keep still. She kept standing up and pacing the room, eyeing down the hallway impatiently, wondering if her Pokemon were okay.

It was then Brock finally stepped into the room, Conner by his side. "Alright, I have two fully charged Pokemon," he announced, holding a tray in his hands. Skye jumped to her feet, running over with excited eyes. "All they need now is a good night's sleep."

"Thanks, Uncle Brock!" she exclaimed, only partially listening as she took her Poke Balls from the tray. "Come on out, team!" Opening the Poke Balls, Squirtle and Nidoran emerged through white lights, shaking off their disorientation when seeing Skye.

"Nido!" Nidoran chirped, bouncing to Skye's feet. But Squirtle stayed back, his head hung low.

"Now that you two are back on the field, it's time to really get down on our drills!" Skye started, clenching her fists in determination. "We may have lost before, but that was only round one! With some more training, there's no way we won't win next time!"

Nidoran lifted her paw, ready and eager. "Ni!"

"Uh, Skye?" Briar spoke up, and Skye looked over to him.

"Eh? What?"

Briar glanced at Squirtle, gesturing to him. Skye tilted her head, furrowing her brows as she followed his gaze. Pausing, she saw Squirtle with his eyes on the ground, his face dull.

Skye's face scrunched in confusion as she looked at her Pokemon. "Hey, Squirtle," she started, bending down to his level. "What's wrong? Do you still need more rest?"

"Squirt…" Squirtle mumbled sadly, turning away from her.

"Huh?" Skye reeled back slightly before narrowing her eyes. "What's the matter with you?"

"He looks depressed," Conner observed flatly. "Maybe it's because he has you as a trainer."

Skye snapped her head up and glared at him, opening her mouth to yell. However, Brock spoke up before she could get the chance to retort.

"Conner," Brock started, glancing down at his son and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you go check on the twins and your sister?" he suggested with a smile. "I'm sure they'd like another playmate."

Autumn turned her head to Brock and raised her brows before blinking in realization. She then smiled and looked to her son. "That's not a bad idea," she said, rising to her feet. "Why don't we go check on them together?"

Conner made a face, realizing that he was unwanted here. Straightening out, he adjusted his glasses. "Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, turning around and heading upstairs. Autumn shot Brock a wink before trailing behind him. Skye watched Conner angrily for a moment longer, but then turned back to Squirtle.

"Come on, Squirtle! You've gotta drop the attitude!" Skye pressed, standing back up. "We have some serious practicing to take care of! You don't want the other teams to get ahead of us, do you?"

But Squirtle didn't budge, his back to Skye, and his shoulders slumped. Skye pursed her lips in frustration, and Nidoran tilted her head curiously.

"Geeze, quit it, Skye," Briar scolded. "Can't you see that Squirtle is upset?"

"Upset?" Skye looked to Squirtle, placing her hands on her hips. "Then what better way to shake it off than to get up and move around?"

"Hold on," Brock interjected gently, and Skye looked over. "It's important to take the time to connect with your Pokemon. The two of you should share one heart, after all."

Skye scrunched her brows together. "One heart?"

"As a trainer, it's important to understand your Pokemon's feelings," Brock continued. "You can't just think of yourself." He tapped a finger against his temple. "It's about working together to achieve your dreams."

Skye clenched her fists. "Of course I understand my Pokemon!" she defended. "We're a team, you know!"

"Forrest told me about the rock slide," Brock said in a seemingly unrelated shift of topic, looking down at Squirtle. "It sounds like Squirtle was very brave back there."

Skye blinked in surprise, but then perked up, puffing out her chest in pride. "Obviously! He's my star player—you can't expect anything less!"

Squirtle said nothing, still sulking on the floor. Brock watched him carefully for a moment longer before looking back to Skye with a smile.

"But it was also very dangerous—did you ask Squirtle how he felt about putting himself at risk like that?"

Skye paused. "Well… no," she began, pursing her lips. "But there was no time to think! That Pokemon was in trouble! We had to help it, no matter what!"

"And after you lost to Forrest, did you ask Squirtle how he felt?"

Skye stiffened. "We couldn't just sit around and mope! We had to keep pushing forward!"

"Squirtle isn't like you, Skye," Briar pointed out bluntly, his arms crossed. "Squirtle grew up in my Dad's lab—he's never been in the outside world." He looked to Squirtle. "You grew up playing soccer—you know how it feels to lose, and you know how to pick yourself back up." He looked back to Skye. "But Squirtle has never felt this way in his entire life."

Skye said nothing, looking back to Squirtle as she bit the insides of her cheeks. Her fingers twitched at her sides, her head beginning to hurt. Brock watched her in silence, seeing the sincerity in her eyes.

"…Tell you what," Brock started, catching Skye's attention. "How would you like to do some special training?"

Skye raised her brows. "Special training?"

Brock nodded, a confident smile showing. "A true test of your bond with your Pokemon—a task you can only complete if you and your Pokemon work together and link your hearts as one."

Skye looked taken back before immediately lunging forward, furrowing her brows. "I can do it!"

"Are you sure?" Brock asked. "It's not going to be easy."

"I wouldn't like it if it was easy!" Skye retorted with a grin, and Brock craned an eyebrow in amusement, seeing the same look in her eyes as her father.

Briar looked unsure. "This might not be the best idea, Skye," he warned. "I mean, Squirtle isn't in any condition to push himself right now."

"That's true," Brock agreed, and Skye turned to him, opening her mouth in dissatisfaction. "Which is why you can only do this special training if Squirtle agrees to do it, too." He held up a finger. "One heart, remember?"

Skye glanced down at Squirtle. He hadn't moved, still staring at the ground. Becoming firm, Skye clenched her fists and walked over to him, crouching down to his level.

"Squirtle," she said seriously, and Squirtle glanced up at her. "I know you must be pretty bummed—I mean, no one likes to lose." She pursed her lips, craning an eyebrow as she struggled to think of what to say. "But what's sitting around going to do? This is our chance!" She held up a fist. "We gotta just keep working hard—together!"

Briar watched, wondering if Skye thought what she said was the equivalent of an inspirational speech. She sounded more like a coach—rough around the edges and always wanting to fight forward. Squirtle was just a rookie, but Skye's words were still sincere and full of passion, and Squirtle caught sight of the fire in her eyes—that she believed in him.

"What do you say, teammate?" Skye pressed, holding her fist out to him. Squirtle stared at her fist, still down, but feeling the warmth of Skye's fire.

"…Squirt," Squirtle said finally, lightly tapping his fist to Skye's. Skye grinned, rising back to her feet.

"That's the spirit!" she exclaimed, spinning toward Brock. "Now give us your best shot—whatever you have, we'll score a goal no matter what!"

Nidoran looked up brightly, rising up onto her hind legs in excitement, and Squirtle waddled over. Brock laughed lightly.

"Alright—then let's see what you've got."

* * *

Briar took a bite of a berry, watching Skye and Brock stand in the field. Breaking off a piece, he held it down to Charmeleon at his side.

"I wonder if Squirtle will really be okay," Briar mused, slipping his hand into his pocket.

"Char," Charmeleon said, giving a nod as he tossed the berry into his mouth. He watched Squirtle with protective eyes, and Briar sighed before smiling.

"So, what do we have to do?" Skye asked, punching the air. "Defeat 100 Pokemon? Go blindfolded? Hit targets?"

Brock chuckled, raising his hand and pointing to the distance. "I want you to go there," he said, and Skye looked over, her eyes widening. "To Mt. Moon."

Skye's face lit up. "Oh, I get it—there must be some really strong Pokemon in there you want us to battle, right?" She looked down at Nidoran and Squirtle with confidence. "But we can take them!"

"Not quite," Brock interrupted. "You see, I'm running low on Ganlon Berries—they're rare berries that can only be found on mountain sides. I want you to climb Mt. Moon and get them for me."

Skye's face fell. "Eh?" She became flustered. "Wait, let me get this straight—my special training is to pick a stupid berry?"

"It's not an easy climb," Brock added. "It's a harsh terrain."

Skye dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "A hike isn't a problem—I can get that berry for you in no time flat." She then huffed and added under her breath, "Though I don't see how this is special training."

"Come on, it won't be so bad," Briar chimed in, walking over. "It'll be good for us to move around in the mountain air." Charmeleon followed behind, glancing at Squirtle.

"I guess so," Skye moped.

Brock held up a finger. "Actually, Skye will be going alone."

Skye looked over, lifting her head. "Huh?"

"It  _ is _ an exercise for you and your Pokemon, after all," Brock pointed out, and Skye stood up straight.

"That's fine," she dismissed, thumbing back to Briar. "He'd probably just slow me down, anyways."

Briar deadpanned, his brow twitching in irritation. "Thanks."

Skye snickered, grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulders. "As long as I have my team by my side, this climb will be a piece of cake!"

"That reminds me," Brock spoke up, and Skye looked over. "There's one more thing—none of your Pokemon's moves can be used on your journey."

Skye took a step back, shocked. "What?!" Scrunching her nose, she leaned forward. "How is this training if I can't even have my Pokemon use their moves?!"

Briar also looked taken back, wondering what Brock's thought process was. Clearly he had some ulterior motive—but what that was, he didn't have a clue. Looking over to Skye, he was beginning to think this 'special training' was something much more complex than he initially thought, and he worried that Skye would end up failing.

But still, Brock was the former Pewter City Gym Leader, and he knew Skye well—maybe he just had to have a little more faith in his friend.

"You can do it," Briar encouraged, and Skye looked over in alarm. He smiled, curling his hand into a fist. "You've never backed down from a challenge before, right?"

Skye scrunched her face. "I know, it's just…" She didn't see how this hike would teach her anything, and with Lizzie pulling ahead, the last thing she wanted to do was waste time.

Brock watched them in amusement, his arms crossed. "I guess I've overestimated you," he spoke up, and Skye snapped her head over. "Maybe this was too much to ask for just a kid—I'll just send one of my Pokemon to the mountain instead."

Forgetting her doubts, Skye shot herself up. "I can handle it!" she boasted confidently, putting a fist to her chest. Briar laughed dryly, noting that Brock really did know Skye well. "I still don't get how this is training—but if it'll help, I'll do it!"

Brock looked satisfied. "That's what I hoped you'd say," he said as he reached into the bag slung over his shoulder, pulling out a paper. "It's about a day's journey up the mountain and back." Opening the paper, a map to the Mt. Moon mountain side was displayed. "Ganlon Berries typically grow in a cave right about here," Brock said as he pulled a pen out of his jacket pocket and left a mark on the map. "Do you think you can make it that far?"

Skye blinked, snatching the map out of Brock's hands and studying it for a moment before letting out a breath. "Please," she started, shoving the map into her pocket. "I've been on the road for over a week already—a day of travel will be a piece of cake."

Brock let out a light laugh. "All right." He looked to Briar. "Briar, you're more than welcome to stay the night if you'd like. I'll make sure to prepare a special dinner."

Briar straightened up at the offer. "Thank you," he said, bowing slightly. "I'd really appreciate that."

Skye's mouth watered at the thought of Brock's cooking, and for a moment wished she could forget the hike all together. Shaking it off, she became firm, looking to the mountain. She couldn't sit around any longer.

Looking down to Squirtle and Nidoran, she held out a fist. "Let's do our best, guys! We'll get a goal for sure!"

"Ni!" Nidoran piped up, and Squirtle nodded slowly, still trying to fight off the funk he was in.

"Good luck, Skye," Briar said. He held out a fist for her. "I know you'll knock 'em dead."

Skye lit up with a grin, pounding his fist with her own. "Just watch me!"

Brock put a hand on Skye's shoulder. Tilting her head, she looked up at him.

"Strength is more than just battles," he said. "When you return, tell me what it really means to have your heart be one with your Pokemon."

Skye looked puzzled, not quite sure what to say. Glancing back down at her Pokemon, she stared for a moment before looking back over and giving him a nod. "Okay—I'm off!"

Taking a deep breath, Skye grinned as she pulled down on her glove. "Let's go, team!" she declared, turning to her Pokemon.

And with that, she ran ahead with her Pokemon close behind. Brock and Briar watched until she disappeared into the horizon, and Briar looked a little exasperated.

"I hope she'll be okay," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Brock laughed lightly, looking out to the mountain against the sky.

"It's up to her, now."

* * *

**_April 8th, 2034. Afternoon. Base of Mt. Moon, Kanto._ **

Skye looked up to the top of the mountain from where she stood, her expression wavering. It was a lot taller than she expected. It seemed much more manageable from a distance. The path was jagged and filled with rocks, clearly never used. Most travelers passed through the mountain through tunnels—no one was stupid enough to climb over it.

But Brock had said that the berries grew on mountainsides, so she knew she had no choice. Taking a deep breath, she looked down to Squirtle and Nidoran, who looked up the mountain in apprehension.

"Let's go," she said with confidence. Licking her lips, she cracked her knuckles before grabbing on to the edge of a slope, hoisting herself up onto a ledge. Looking back down, she paused when seeing her Pokemon still sitting on the ground, neither moving an inch.

"Guys, come on," she pressed, placing her hands on her hips. "We haven't even started yet!"

"Ni," Nidoran said, lifting her paw from the dirt. She looked down at it in dissatisfaction.

"Squirt," Squirtle mumbled, still glum. Seeing how tall the mountain was up close, he suddenly remembered how small he really felt, his dark feelings resurfacing.

Becoming frustrated, Skye groaned, and after another beat of silence, she jumped down from the ledge in agitation.

"Fine, I'll give you the first push," she said, and she lifted Squirtle off the ground before holding him up to the ledge. "Do you think you can grab on from here?"

Squirtle blinked a few times in surprise, looking down at his trainer who offered him a smile. After a moment, Squirtle nodded and smiled just the slightest. "Squirt!" he said, pulling himself up onto the ledge.

Skye grinned. "That's more like it!" she said, turning to Nidoran. "Now it's your turn!"

Nidoran let out a breath of alarm as Skye hoisted her off the ground and held her up to Squirtle on the ledge.

"Pull her up, Squirtle," Skye said, and Squirtle obeyed, grabbing a hold of Nidoran's paws and pulling her onto the ledge beside him.

Both looked down at their trainer in surprise, and she became firm, grabbing the edge once more and pulling herself up. She let out a sigh, her shoulders relaxing.

"There," she said, looking over to them. She gave a determined smile. "Now we've taken the first step." Rising to her feet, she pointed forward. "So let's give it our all!" She began to march onward and Nidoran and Squirtle exchanged glances.

Nidoran then trotted after her, feeling more motivated after Skye's act of kindness. Squirtle frowned as he watched the two, staying behind another moment before following after, not wanting to be left behind.

* * *

The initial climb wasn't anything Skye wasn't prepared for. She had gone on hikes before, and she had done her fair share of climbing, so getting over a few rocks wasn't a problem. With strong endurance, she didn't tire easily, but after an hour of scaling the mountain, she looked over her shoulder to where Nidoran and Squirtle trudged behind.

"Pick up the pace, Slowpokes!"

The two were already exhausted, Squirtle more so than Nidoran. The climb hadn't been hard—but Skye couldn't say the same about it not being annoying.

Nidoran was surprisingly difficult, not wanting to dirty herself. Skye's patience was running thin with her, but Nidoran was just as stubborn as her trainer was, and Skye felt like she could be halfway up the mountain by now if not for her high-maintenance attitude.

Squirtle had been no better. Normally he was full of energy, but with his losses still weighing him down, his motivation to take on such a hard hike had disappeared. Skye tried to encourage him, but her words seemed to be falling on deaf ears, and she only grew more frustrated with every step.

At this rate, she felt like it would take a week to get to the top.

Skye had been excited at first, eager to take on this challenge with her Pokemon—but now she was just wary, and the journey couldn't end any sooner for her.

So much for special training.

"Squirt!"

Breaking from her thoughts at the sound of Squirtle's voice, Skye paused, stopping dead in her tracks. "A-ah…!"

Standing right before her was a massive rock wall that she had nearly walked into. Her eyes scanned the height, and she noticed a ledge up at the top. The wall was climbable, though the surface appeared to be a little wet and muddy, so Skye knew that they would have to be careful.

Taking a deep breath, Skye turned to Squirtle and Nidoran. "Looks like we have another climb ahead of us. You guys ready?"

Squirtle blinked, looking up and down the wall. He frowned, taking a moment to think, before quickly shaking it away and slapping himself on the cheeks. He furrowed his brows and gave Skye a nod as he approached the wall and began to make the climb.

Skye grinned, clenching her fist as she watched her Pokemon begin to climb. "There's that fighting spirit!" She then turned to Nidoran. "All right, Nidoran—your turn!"

Nidoran blinked, slowly walking up to the wall and inspecting it. She lightly pressed her paw against it before examining it. Her face twisted in disgust at the sight of mud, and she backed away from the wall.

"Ni!" she said, sitting on the ground and stubbornly turning her head away.

Skye blinked. "What are you doing?" She furrowed her brows in irritation. "We have to get up this wall! You don't wanna waste any more time getting our next badge, do you?"

"Nido! Nido ni!" Nidoran objected, pointing her paw towards the drops of mud sliding their way down the rocks. She then let out a huff and turned her head away once more. "Nido!"

Skye raised a brow, studying the mud Nidoran was pointing towards before letting out a groan in realization. "Not this again." Nidoran nodded and Skye ruffled her hair in agitation. "Look, training means you've gotta get dirty sometimes! You can't go through life without getting a little mud under your nails, you know?"

But Nidoran didn't budge, her head still turned away and her eyes closed. It was clear that Nidoran's pride in her appearance wasn't going to let her scale this mountain if it meant getting dirty.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle called, already several feet above. He was looking down at them in confusion, wondering what the hold-up was all about.

Skye turned her head up to him and sighed, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Just keep going, Squirtle! We'll be right behind you!"

Squirtle stared down at them for a moment longer with a look of uncertainty before nodding and continuing his climb upward.

Skye took a breath before returning her attention onto Nidoran. "Look! Even Squirtle is already halfway to the top! You don't wanna get left behind, do you?" she pressed, placing her hands on her hips as her expression became more stern. "If you want to train and become stronger, then you can't worry about something as silly as mud! If you do, you'll be left in the dust!"

Nidoran opened an eye, glancing at Skye who continued to stare her down firmly. Nidoran seemed to consider Skye's words for a moment before stubbornly turning away once more and stomping her foot into the ground. "Ni!"

Skye scowled, gritting her teeth. Nidoran was being difficult, and she was beginning to run out of options. They had to finish this training, no matter what.

"Then you leave me no choice," Skye said as she picked Nidoran up off of the ground.

Nidoran let out a yelp of surprise upon being lifted. Skye walked forward, and Nidoran attempted to squirm out of her hands as Skye inched closer to the wall.

"Don't worry, I'm not throwing you in the mud or anything," Skye huffed as she carefully placed Nidoran on her shoulder. "Just hang on tight and don't let go, okay?"

Nidoran let out a squeak, tightly clinging onto Skye's shoulder as she began to make her way up the rock wall. Skye grunted just the slightest as she did so, the added weight of Nidoran on her shoulder making it harder to pull herself up. But if this was the way that it had to be done in order to get to the top, then she was going to do it.

Nidoran buried her nose into Skye's shoulder, watching each and every rock carefully. As long as she didn't have to make the climb herself, then she supposed that this wasn't so bad. Whenever Skye would attempt to grab hold of a rock that seemed too muddy, Nidoran would let out sounds of disapproval, and tap on her shoulder until Skye gave in and grabbed onto a different rock instead.

Skye was beginning to grow irritated. Not only was the climb taking longer due to needing to carry Nidoran, but now she couldn't even take the easiest path to the top. Her arms were sore and exhausted, and Squirtle had already been waiting for them at the top for several minutes.

"Squirt?" Squirtle called to them.

"We're almost there!" Skye called back, grabbing onto another rock. "Just hang on another few minutes!"

Nidoran glanced at her trainer. It was clear that she was exhausted, her brow covered in sweat and her hands beginning to shake. But that didn't stop her—her eyes still shined brightly with determination, biting back the pain as she kept grabbing rock after rock.

Nidoran tilted her head, but then blinked upon hearing a cracking sound. Her head quickly darted towards the rock that Skye was about to grab and she noticed the dirt and stone that was beginning to loosen around it. Her eyes widened and she lifted her paw, pointing. "Nido! Nido ni!"

Skye scowled in irritation, flicking her gaze towards Nidoran. "Look, I know you don't wanna get dirty, okay? But this is the fastest—!"

Nidoran knew there wasn't any time to waste, and she quickly swatted Skye's hand away from the rock. Skye let out a gasp of surprise, grabbing a hold of the next closest ledge. Moments later, the stone which she had almost grabbed cracked and slid down the mountain side.

Skye reeled back just the slightest. If she had grabbed that rock, she would have tumbled down with it. Without Nidoran's perceptiveness, their training would have been over.

"That was close," Skye breathed. She looked over to Nidoran and offered a small smile. "Good eyes. Thanks for the save."

Nidoran tilted her head, but then gave a proud nod, and Skye smiled at her again before continuing her climb. The final push to the top was just ahead of them, so Skye gave it everything she had as she managed to pull herself to the top.

Skye let out a gasp, crawling onto the ledge where Squirtle stood, and took a moment to catch her breath on her hands and knees. Nidoran hopped off of Skye's shoulder, and the release of the weight was a relief to Skye's back.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle said as he waddled over, checking to make sure that his trainer was okay.

"I'm all right," Skye breathed, slowly pulling herself to her feet and looking down at her Pokemon. "We've climbed pretty high—so it can't be much further from here, right?" She offered them a tired smile, clenching her fist. "So let's take the final stretch full-throttle!" She narrowed her eyes just the slightest at Nidoran. "And  _ no more _ detours."

Nidoran closed her eyes stubbornly and let out a chirp of approval. Squirtle smiled just the slightest, gently pumping his fist into the air.

* * *

It wasn't close at all. Somehow, traveling along the mountainside had led them into a very wooded area, and Skye was beginning to wonder if they were lost.

"Uh… I think we just keep going this way and…" Skye mumbled, her brows furrowed as she stared thoughtfully at the map in front of her face. "Or maybe we were supposed to go left back there…"

Squirtle looked up at his trainer, his expression full of worry. Nidoran walked beside them, looking around at the landscape, but when she turned her head forward she stopped dead in her tracks. Letting out a gasp, she quickly ran to stand in front of her trainer, ramming her head into her leg. "Nido!"

Skye stumbled to a stop and let out a grunt of pain. Scowling, she put her map down and looked to Nidoran. "Hey! What's the big idea?!"

Nidoran continued to stare up at Skye with a firm expression, and Skye trailed her eyes from Nidoran to what was behind her.

Before them was a dark, deep trench. Inhaling in surprise, Skye took a step backwards. "W-whoa!"

Another few steps forward and they would have all fallen right to the bottom. Nidoran closed her eyes and stuck up her head proudly—yet another save on her part.

Skye frowned, scratching her head. "Well, I wasn't counting on this." She approached the edge of the trench and looked down. It was fairly deep, a river rushing at the bottom. Looking across, Skye deemed that it wouldn't be possible to simply jump. Scrunching her face in annoyance, she lifted up her map again and turned it around, studying it more closely.

"Looks like this thing goes pretty far across the mountain…" Skye mumbled.

Looking back over to the trench, she contemplated what to do. She supposed she could try to see if there was a way around it, but the thought of delaying this climb any further put her in a foul mood.

"Squirt…"

Skye looked over, craning an eyebrow. "What is it?" Meeting his gaze, she noticed a bridge—but when looking at it closely, she could see why Squirtle looked so distraught.

The bridge was old, the ropes looking worn and the boards missing a few pieces. It rocked slightly in the wind, making a creaking sound as it did so. Skye looked it over with uncertainty, but she gulped, swallowing down her uneasiness.

"I'm sure it's stronger than it looks," she assured them, but neither of her Pokemon looked particularly convinced. Taking a deep breath, Skye stepped towards the bridge. "Come on, I think the cave is just past this trench."

The moment Skye stepped foot onto the bridge she heard a small crack. She held her breath and waited a moment. Nothing. Letting out a sigh, she looked over her shoulder to her Pokemon. "Just stay close and you'll be fine," she assured as she began to make her way across.

Nidoran and Squirtle exchanged nervous glances, but Nidoran shook her fear away and began to carefully follow behind Skye. Squirtle, on the other hand, stood still. He looked at the bridge for a while before carefully taking the first step forward. Hearing the creak of the wood below his feet caused him to let out a nervous squeak and grab a hold of the rope on the side. Peering down to the bottom of the trench below left his head spinning, and he couldn't find the strength to take another step.

Skye, who was already halfway across the bridge, held on tightly to the rope railings and smiled with confidence. "You see?" she started, glancing back at Nidoran. "This isn't so bad, is it?"

"Ni…" Nidoran said softly, glancing behind them.

Skye blinked and let out a hum of confusion. "What's wrong?" she asked, following Nidoran's gaze. She paused when seeing Squirtle still stuck at the start of the bridge. Furrowing her brows, she called out to him, "Squirtle! What are you doing!?"

Squirtle shot his head up and looked to Skye. She seemed so far away and her voice sounded distant. He knew that Skye wanted him to press forward, but his shaking legs wouldn't let him.

When Squirtle didn't answer, Skye let out a scowl and turned to face him completely. Stepping over Nidoran, she began to make her way back to Squirtle. "Come on, Squirtle! We don't have time for this!" she called. "Stop being a baby and get across! Where's all of that courage you had the other day?"

Squirtle watched her as she came closer and frowned. He felt embarrassed and couldn't help but sink his head ever so slightly back into his shell. Skye was right—he was being a coward, and he was letting her down. But even still, he couldn't bring himself to move.

Skye let out a breath of irritation as she continued her walk to Squirtle. "Fine—I guess I've just gotta pick you up and carry you across myself, then."

Nidoran watched with a frown, not wanting to go ahead without Skye. But suddenly, she heard a loud crack and her eyes widened when the wood below Skye's feet began to give in. She attempted to call out to her in warning—but it was too late.

The wooden board snapped in two, falling into the trench below. Skye gasped in surprise as her foot fell through the crack and she slipped, grabbing onto the board in front of her to keep her from falling. Squirtle and Nidoran let out a cry of alarm, and Nidoran attempted to rush to her aid.

Skye tried to pull herself back up onto the bridge, wincing in pain as the splinters from the wooden panel dug into her finger tips. Her heart was racing faster than it ever had as her feet dangled helplessly below her.

"G-guys!" Skye cried to her Pokemon, attempting desperately to pull herself up. "Help!"

Squirtle's eyes widened, and swallowing all of his fear, he began to quickly sprint across the wooden panels of the bridge to where Skye was hanging on for dear life.

"Squirtle!" he called, holding out a hand to her as he ran faster.

Skye gritted her teeth and raised one of her hands, attempting to grab a hold of Squirtle's. But it was no use. The rotted wood she was clinging on to refused to support her weight any longer and broke beneath her hands.

Skye let out a scream as her body quickly plummeted towards the river below. Nidoran's eyes widened in horror as she called out to Skye—but Squirtle didn't waste a moment of hesitation and dove into the trench after her.

But as soon as Skye hit the water, everything went black.

* * *

… _ And the journey continues! _


	6. One Heart

**_April 8th, 2034. Nightfall. Route 3, Kanto._ **

Mt. Moon stood black in the distance, the sun falling behind it. The sky turned pink, the moon slowly peeking from the horizon. Briar stared at it from out the kitchen window. He kept drumming his fingertips against the counter, feeling fidgety. No matter what he did, he couldn't seem to break his gaze.

"Something on your mind?"

Briar blinked his thoughts away and turned to Brock, who was hunched over a highchair as he attempted to feed his toddler daughter from a jar of mashed peas. His daughter, Rachel, tilted her head and looked to Briar.

Taking a quick breath, Briar cracked a smile, shaking his head. "Nothing," he started. "Just enjoying the view."

Brock smiled knowingly, putting down the jar of baby food. "You're worried about Skye, aren't you?"

Briar stiffened and his brows shot up, but then he let out a sigh and leaned against the counter. "I guess so…" His gaze drifted back to the window. "I mean, she's never really been out on her own like this before, and Mt. Moon can be dangerous." He ran a hand through his hair, his face deadpanning. "Plus, I know how she can be."

Brock laughed and stood up straight, crossing his arms. "I don't think you have any need to worry," he assured, but Briar didn't look convinced. "I mean, she  _ is _ her father's daughter, after all." He turned his head toward the window where Briar had been looking previously. "They're not the type to let themselves get beaten so easily."

"But Skye is still Skye," Briar corrected flatly. "Maybe Uncle Ash can handle the extremes of the wild, but Skye is still new to all of this. For all we know, she could be—!"

"Have a little more faith in her," Brock added, and Briar blinked. "Skye is strong. She can handle herself—you know that." Brock looked to the ceiling thoughtfully with a smile. "Obstacles are inevitable—but her fighting spirit is strong."

Briar's face was stricken with panic, and he leaned forward, saying, "But if that's the case—!"

"—Then she'll have her Pokemon," Brock finished for him, and Briar recoiled in surprise.

Rachel looked up to her father curiously, but her attention was soon captured by the jar of baby food sitting in front of her, and she picked it up. Brock didn't seem to notice as his gaze was fixed on a set of pictures on the refrigerator—one of him alongside all of his Pokemon.

"The whole point of this exercise is for Skye to work together with her Pokemon—for their trust to grow and to learn to understand each other just a little bit better," Brock said, turning his attention back to Briar. "As long as Skye and her Pokemon have each other, they'll be all right."

Briar frowned, still unconvinced, but before he could say another word, he was interrupted by a squeak. Brock raised his brows and turned around to see his daughter covered in mashed peas. His face quickly fell and he put his hands to his head.

"Rachel! I just gave you a bath!" he whined, which only caused Rachel to break into a fit of giggles—and just like that, Brock turned into a goofy pile of mush. "But how can Daddy stay mad at a precious laugh like that?" he cooed, pressing his hands to his daughter's cheeks.

Briar let out a small laugh and rubbed his nose—his gaze returning to the window once more.

* * *

**_April 8th, 2034. Night. Mt. Moon, Kanto._ **

Everything was black. Her body felt cold and heavy, her heartbeat throbbing in her head. Her ears wouldn't stop ringing, but she could hear the faint, static sound of someone calling to her from a distance. Scrunching her face, Skye began to slowly open her eyes. Everything was blurry, but she could make out Squirtle's face hovering mere inches from her own. He looked upset, but after a moment, he lit up and turned his head, calling elsewhere. A few seconds later, Nidoran joined him with a look of happiness and relief.

Skye put a hand to her forehead, her thoughts were fuzzy and scattered. She let out a wince of pain as she slowly sat up. "What happened…?" she murmured weakly.

"Squirtle! Squirt Squirtle!" Squirtle explained, pointing his finger in front of them.

Skye looked perplexed, her eyes trailing with his finger to the river just ahead. Her face scrunched in thought before she paused, everything coming back to her. Gasping, she jumped to her feet quickly.

"T-the bridge—!" she breathed, but then winced in pain, holding onto her arm. Her head began to spin, dizzy—she had gotten up too fast. Lifting her hand, she noticed spots of blood. Looking down at herself, she realized just how banged up she was, her body bruised and cut.

She breathed heavily and twisted her face in confusion. Looking up, she shrunk at how far down they really fell—even with the water to break her fall, it was a miracle that she was able to survive at all. Sighing, she shook her thoughts away and looked to her Pokemon.

The two of them appeared to be unharmed. They were coated in mud and light bruises, but as long as they were both okay, that's what mattered most.

Focusing her gaze upward again, she scowled in frustration. Climbing back to the top was going to take hours, and it was already dark—but if she went back without those berries, then she would have failed. They couldn't have come this far for nothing.

Glancing behind her, Skye noticed her backpack was set next to a bed of leaves that her head had been resting on, a few Oran Berries placed beside it. Letting out a short breath, Skye picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulders, knocking over the berries in the process.

Nidoran and Squirtle reeled back in alarm. The two exchanged looks, but Skye began to walk forward.

"We're going," she said shortly.

Squirtle quickly scooped the berries in his arms and began to follow after Skye, Nidoran behind him. "Squirtle! Squirt!" he said, holding out the berries to her. He had a look of worry on his face.

Skye didn't stop, only glancing down at him. "We don't have time for that," she said, looking forward once more. "It's already dark and we're not even halfway there. We can eat when we get to the cave."

"Squirtle!" Squirtle protested, standing in her path. Nidoran was quick to rush to his side.

It was clear that they wanted her to stop and rest, but Skye couldn't waste any more time. She was cold, dirty, sore, and hungry—but the longer they sat around doing nothing, the more time they were taking away from their Gym Battle. They had already had plenty of delays throughout the day, and this was the final straw.

"Look," Skye said firmly, stopping suddenly as she glared down at her Pokemon. "I don't like this anymore than you guys do, but we have to keep moving!"

Squirtle pursed his lips, standing firm, and Nidoran swallowed, shaking her head.

Skye growled, putting a hand to her forehead. "Will you two stop being so stubborn?" she snapped, taking them both by surprise. "You guys have been nothing but a pain all day! We could have had those berries hours ago if you guys didn't keep holding us up! With the way you're acting, it seems like you don't even  _ want _ that Gym Badge!"

Squirtle and Nidoran both hung their heads in shame, slumping beneath the weight of Skye's words. Neither of them could bring themselves to look her in the eyes.

Her gaze was focused on both Squirtle and Nidoran, waiting for either of them to speak up. After a beat of silence, Skye let out a huff, taking a step forward. "Now let's go."

Nidoran looked to Squirtle with a frown before slowly following behind Skye. Squirtle stood still for a moment longer, his head hung low and his eyes stinging as he attempted to hold back tears. Dropping the berries to the ground, he turned on his heel after Skye and Nidoran.

* * *

The remainder of the hike was quiet. So quiet, in fact, that Skye had to keep checking to make sure that Squirtle and Nidoran were even there at all. The two had put up far less of a fight when it came to getting up the mountainside, cooperating with little fuss. Neither wanted to hold Skye back anymore.

Skye felt a twinge of guilt over her words—but she was tired, and she was irritated. She didn't know how this was special training, and she wanted nothing more than to just complete it so her  _ real _ training could begin.

It was getting close to midnight, and with the overcast that hung above them, trying to see was nearly impossible. Skye held the soggy map in her hands close to her face, attempting to read it using the flashlight on her Pokegear.

"It shouldn't be much further ahead," she mumbled, catching Squirtle and Nidoran's attention. Looking up, Skye noticed a clearing in the trees and pointed ahead. "If my map reading is right, then the cave should be just past these trees." She closed her eyes. "Then we can  _ finally _ snag those berries and get back to Uncle Brock's."

Neither Squirtle nor Nidoran said a word, and Skye glanced back to them. She watched them both walk with their heads hung low, and frowned just the slightest. Shaking the thought away, she looked back forward as they stepped into the clearing.

Skye suddenly broke out into a grin, everything in that moment forgotten.

"There it is!"

A small cave sat buried in the side of the mountain, its position the same as the "x" marked on the map. Lunging forward, Skye ran to it with new energy, but paused when nearing the mouth of the cave, skidding to a sudden stop. Her flashlight pierced through the darkness, catching sight of a Rhydon lurking near the entrance.

The Rhydon's eye's flickered at the light, and he turned his head in Skye's direction. Stumbling backwards, Skye flicked the light off and slid behind a tree, poking her head out to get a better view. The dark made it hard to see, but she could make out Rhydon's form pacing back and forth, sniffing trees and bushes. She was sure that this cave was its home.

"Perfect," Skye murmured, rubbing her face as she attempted to look for another way into the cave. "It looks like that's the only entrance, too…"

Squirtle and Nidoran both frowned as Skye put a hand to her chin in thought.

"Then I guess we just have to sneak by it," Skye declared suddenly, placing her hands on her hips.

Nidoran and Squirtle both flinched in alarm, but Skye smiled. "Just follow my lead." With that, she began weaving quietly through the trees as she tip-toed her way into the cave. Squirtle swallowed as he and Nidoran carefully followed behind her, eyeing Rhydon with a nervous glance.

Rhydon didn't seem to notice as he continued to search through the bushes for the light from before. Skye snickered in satisfaction, whispering "sucker" under her breath as she crept into the depths of the cave.

Squirtle glanced around anxiously, but the darkness made it hard to see. Nidoran came to a stop, her ears twitching. With a sudden gasp, she quickly turned in Skye's direction.

"Since that stupid Rhydon is out of sight, it's probably okay to take this out, right?" Skye said cheerily, flipping on her Pokegear's flashlight.

But as soon as the light flicked on, Skye found herself underneath the glare of a second Rhydon. Inhaling sharply, she jumped back in surprise—nearly dropping her Pokegear as she did so. The Rhydon snorted angrily and scuffed his foot against the ground.

"R-run!" Skye managed to stammer, stumbling backwards as she booked it out of the cave. Nidoran let out a yelp, chasing after her, and Squirtle was quick to follow.

The Rhydon standing by the cave's entrance caught ear of the commotion, turning his head just in time to see the light of Skye's Pokegear. Its pupils dilating, it let out a cry before charging after them without hesitation.

Realizing her mistake, Skye quickly shut off her flashlight, hoping to lose the two Pokemon in the dark of night. Skye slid behind a tree with her Pokemon, pressing her back straight against the bark, listening closely. The heavy footsteps of the Rhydon grew distant. Lucky for her, outrunning a slow Pokemon like Rhydon wasn't much of a problem.

Skye peeked from behind the tree. It was difficult to see, but the faint outline of the two Rhydon could be made out in the distance. Letting out a breath, Skye slid down to the ground. Nidoran and Squirtle collapsed beside her, exhausted.

"Well, that didn't exactly go as planned," Skye grumbled, rubbing her face. "I didn't think there'd be  _ two _ of them." Looking over their shoulder, Skye noticed the two now patrolling the entrance of the cave. She sighed. "And now that we blew our cover, they're gonna be on high alert."

Resting her chin on her knees, Skye let out a small huff. "We just need another plan…"

Skye could feel the weight of the day slowly press down on her. Her legs were throbbing, her injuries beginning to sting. Her damp clothes stuck to her skin uncomfortably, her body cold in the night air. She couldn't help but think about Briar sitting with Brock's family at the dinner table, all eating together. She lightly grasped her stomach, her eyes heavy as she slowly closed them.

It'd be easier to just give up.

A large crash made Skye's eyes shoot open. She jumped to her feet, Nidoran and Squirtle huddling to her in alarm.

"W-what was that!?" Skye stammered in a hushed voice, looking around quickly.

Another crash. A roar of pain followed, and Skye snapped her head to the cave entrance. The two Rhydon butted heads with each other, and Skye scrunched her face in confusion. "Are they… fighting?"

The fighting suddenly stopped, the Rhydon tilting their heads cluelessly before letting out a grunt and continuing their patrol.

Skye watched, craning an eyebrow. "That was strange…" she murmured.

Nidoran blinked a few times, nodding in agreement when she suddenly felt something nudge against her side. Gasping in alarm, she raised her hind legs and offered a swift kick in defense.

The kick was followed by a grunt of pain from Squirtle, who nearly fell onto the back of his shell before angrily looking to Nidoran. "Squirt! Squirtle!"

Skye looked over, furrowing her brows at the commotion. "Hey, what are you two doing?"

Nidoran blinked a few times, realizing that it was only Squirtle. She bowed her head apologetically. "Nido ni."

Squirtle huffed, crossing his arms and glancing away, bitterly accepting her apology.

Skye continued to watch her two Pokemon's exchange, suddenly pausing. Something clicked inside her, and she snapped her head to the Rhydon. "…I think I know how to get those berries," she said with a grin.

Squirtle and Nidoran both blinked, lifting their heads to Skye.

"You know how those two Rhydon got into a scuffle just a second ago?" she started, and her Pokemon nodded. "Well, I think it's because of this darkness." Her attention focused back to the patrolling Pokemon. "One of them must've nudged against the other. They thought it was an intruder, so they attacked—but when they realized it was just their friend, they dropped the fight." Her grin widened. "So if we can pin them against each other, we'll be able to sneak right by!"

Squirtle and Nidoran both seemed to perk up just the slightest in approval, and Skye leaned forward, excited by her own stroke of genius.

"So, I was thinking—Squirtle, you could use your Water Gun, and Nidoran could use her Poison Sting and—!"

"Squirt!"

Skye blinked, turning her head to Squirtle curiously. "What's wrong? Would you rather use a different attack?"

Squirtle shook his head. "Squirtle squirt!" he said, crossing his arms in front of his mouth. "Squirtle!"

Skye stared, raising a brow as Squirtle kept his eyes locked with hers. Pausing, Skye let out a groan, pressing her palm against her face.

"Right. I forgot we aren't allowed to use attacks…" she murmured. She peeked her eye through her fingers. "…But you know, it's not like Uncle Brock is  _ here _ ."

Squirtle and Nidoran both narrowed their eyes, and Skye glanced at them bitterly before sighing in defeat. "Fine, have it your way," she said, holding up her hands. "We just need a new game plan."

The three of them sat in silence for a minute, each raking through their thoughts. Squirtle pressed his palm against his mouth thoughtfully, when suddenly the image of a rampaging Nidorino came to his mind. He rushed over to Skye, rapidly tapping her backpack.

"Squirtle! Squirtle!" he said, tugging on it.

Skye looked down at him. "What? Is there something in there you want?" she asked, shrugging it off.

As soon as her bag was on the ground, Squirtle unzipped it, reaching inside and pulling out her soccer ball with pride. "Squirtle!"

Skye stared at it in confusion, unsure what good a soccer ball would do. But when she looked into Squirtle's eyes, she perked up in realization. "I get it!" She leaned forward. "You wanna use the soccer ball the same way we did with that Nidorino in Pallet Town, right?"

Squirtle nodded with a smile. "Squirt!"

Nidoran scrunched her face, not understanding, but Skye looked back over to the Rhydon.

"Maybe if we can hit one of them with the ball when they're close enough together, then one of them will attack the other," Skye said thoughtfully. "The only problem is this darkness—it would be bad if we ended up missing."

Nidoran blinked a few times before lighting up, tapping Skye with her paw to get her attention. "Nido!" she chirped as she began to wiggle her ears.

Skye stared, but then perked up. "That's right—you have pretty good hearing, don't you?" She smiled confidently. "Would you be able to tell us when and where to strike?"

Nidoran nodded confidently, and Skye grinned as she rose to her feet.

"All right—then here's the game plan!" She picked up a stick and began to draw "x"s, "o"s, and arrows in the dirt. "We're all going to stand along the tree line. Nidoran will listen for the Rhydon, and when she hears where they are, she's gonna give us a signal," she explained, pointing her stick to Nidoran. "Once she gives the signal, Nidoran will tell us where to aim, and Squirtle is going shoot the soccer ball at the closest Rhydon. When that happens, the Rhydon should turn around and sock the other one—starting a fight." 

Becoming serious, she put a hand to her chest. "While they're distracted, I'm gonna book it for the cave, nab those berries, and get outta there. I'm counting on you guys to keep them distracted while I'm gone. Got it?"

Nidoran and Squirtle both nodded firmly, and Skye grinned. "Let's go, team!"

With that, the three dashed to the tree line, moving with careful discretion. Neither Rhydon seemed to notice their approach, pacing in front of the cave's entrance without stopping. Skye pursed her lips—even when they were this close, it was hard to make out just where the Rhydon stood.

Nidoran closed her eyes and listened attentively, twitching her ears every few seconds. She then opened her eyes, fixing her gaze on a spot just a few yards ahead. Looking to Skye and Squirtle, she gave a nod and pointed in the direction of the Rhydon.

Skye looked to Squirtle with affirmation, placing the soccer ball in front of him and whispering, "You take it from here."

Squirtle nodded firmly, drawing his tail back before whacking the ball in the direction Nidoran pointed. There was the sound of a "boing", followed by an angry roar breaking through the quiet night. Skye waited intently, and smirked in satisfaction when she heard a loud crash mere moments later.

Taking the opportunity, Skye nodded to her Pokemon one last time before lunging herself forward. Making sure that the coast was clear, she retrieved the Pokegear from her pocket and turned on the flashlight. The cave didn't seem to go in too far, so she was sure she'd be able to retrieve the berries and get out fast with ease.

Shining the flashlight on the ground, Skye walked deeper into the cave, the light catching a patch of soil. Grinning, she jogged over, scattered plants sprouting from the earth. Upon closer inspection, she noticed round, blue and white berries hanging from the small branches.

"Gotcha," she whispered, sliding her backpack off her shoulder. She grabbed several of the berries, storing them into her bag.

Outside the cave, the two Rhydon continued to clash as Squirtle and Nidoran watched on in anticipation. One of the Rhydon continued to deliver blow after blow to the other with its Rock Blast attack. The other held up its arms in a blocking position to lessen the impact of each rock, but that was when the attacking Rhydon drew back its fist and pummeled the defending Rhydon with a powerful Mega Punch—sending it flying into the outer cave wall.

Squirtle's attention was grabbed upon hearing the crumbling of rocks as Rhydon continued to throw Mega Punches at the opposing Rhydon over and over again, striking the wall various times as it did so. Squirtle knew that if this kept up, then the cave would collapse—with Skye still in it.

Rhydon let out a vicious roar, and with one final Iron Tail, the cave wall shattered.

Deciding she had collected enough, Skye rose to her feet and adjusted the straps of her backpack. The ground began shaking beneath her feet, and she paused, coming to a stop. Shining her flashlight to the cave ceiling, Skye's eyes widened. Rocks were beginning to break apart and fall, hitting the ground hard on impact. Gasping, Skye dashed for the exit, but stumbled from the shaking earth, causing her to take a knee. Lifting her head, she froze. She was caved in.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried in horror as he watched the rocks fall over the entrance. Without thinking twice, he rushed past the brawling Rhydon to the entrance. Nidoran was quick to follow behind, and the two started pulling rocks away in desperation.

Inside of the cave, Skye held her hands over her head protectively, waiting for the impact of the falling rocks—but it never came. Once all was clear, she scrambled to grab her Pokegear on the ground before rising to her feet. Flicking the flashlight back on, she took a look around, and her eyes widened when seeing the cave entrance completely blocked. Turning her flashlight to the ceiling, she realized that she was lucky to be caught in a pocket—if she hadn't tripped, she would have definitely been crushed.

There were several loud crashes that could be heard coming from outside, and the cave walls shook. Skye winced when feeling a small stone hit the top of her head. Rubbing her newly formed bump, she could only assume that this rockslide had been caused by the fight. If she didn't find a way out fast, she would be in serious trouble.

Skye approached the rock wall that blocked her exit, shining her flashlight over the surface. Squinting her eyes, she perked up at an opening, rushing over. Bending down,she observed it closely, deciding that it was just large enough for her to squeeze through. She bit her lip. There was no guarantee this hole would lead to the outside, but with no other options, she swallowed her fears and pushed herself through, holding out her flashlight to light the path.

The tunnel was long, which left Skye hopeful, but it became narrower the further ahead it went. The walls rumbled, and Skye tensed just the slightest. Gathering her courage, she licked her lips and pushed forward, using her elbows to crawl. She went slowly, careful to avoid disturbing the loose rocks around her.

The walls rumbled violently again, and suddenly, her flashlight began to flicker before turning off all together. Frustrated, Skye gave it a quick shake, but the light didn't come back.

Dead battery.

"Damn it," she hissed, shaking her dead Pokegear harder. "Come on!" Darkness swallowed her, nothing but black in every direction.

Pursing her lips, she pressed on. The further she crawled into the darkness, the more on-edge she became. Every little sound made her flinch, and each time she would come across a dead end, her heart swelled in frustration and panic. She had no idea whether she was going left, right or forward—she could have been going around in circles for all she knew. The closed space and pitch black were starting to weigh down on her mind, and her body quivered in fear when the rocks surrounding her shook. Covering her head, she closed her eyes tightly.

Was this how Squirtle felt?

Opening her eyes partially, Skye began to feel a heavy weight of guilt in her chest. Just yesterday, she had forced Squirtle into this same situation. She hadn't asked him how he felt about it; she simply pushed him into it. When things went wrong and the rocks started to fall again, Squirtle must have been terrified. And yet, he managed to gather the strength to push through—all because he didn't want to let her down. Even today, Squirtle continued to show that same attitude. He felt down and defeated after losing to Forrest, but he still continued on with all of this special training because he knew how important it was to Skye. He didn't want to let her down again—he was doing his best to move forward.

Squirtle and Nidoran had both had been trying so hard this entire time for her, but she never took the time to figure out how they felt. She was so focused on herself and completing this training that she never really discussed the loss with her Pokemon. Instead, she yelled at them for holding her up—and now she was trapped in this rockslide, finally understanding what Squirtle had been feeling this entire time. She felt stupid and ashamed.

Some Pokemon Trainer she was.

"Squirt! Squirtle!"

Inhaling sharply, Skye lifted her head. It was Squirtle's voice—he was calling out to her. It was distant, but it was there. He sounded shaken, frantic and desperate, and Skye's eyes widened just the slightest. Despite everything that had happened, despite the way that she had treated him, he was still trying so desperately to rescue her now.

Skye took a deep breath. Squirtle wasn't going to give up on her, so she couldn't give up on him. Gathering all of her strength, Skye continued her crawl forward—following the sound of Squirtle's voice. The wounds on her legs and arms ached as they rubbed against the rough stones below her, but she had to keep pushing through—for Squirtle and Nidoran both.

Just then, Skye could see moonlight barely poking through the cracks ahead of her. A moment later, a rock was pulled away, and Squirtle's face appeared.

"S-Squirtle!" Skye cried in alarm, and Squirtle lit up.

"Squirt!" he called happily. Nidoran appeared beside him, smiling brightly.

Skye felt like a weight was lifted off of her shoulders, and she smiled, her eyes wavering. "Y-you guys…!"

Stretching out his arm into the hole, Squirtle held out a hand for Skye to grab on to so he could help her out.

Nearby, the two Rhydon heard the shifting of rocks by the cave's entrance and ceased their fighting. With the overcast beginning to fade away, the moon provided a source of light, and both Rhydon were able to make out Squirtle and Nidoran just a few feet away.

Quickly becoming fueled by rage, one of the Rhydon formed a small bolder between his hands and chucked it Squirtle's way.

Just as Skye was about to touch Squirtle's hand, a rock came flying into view from the side. It crashed into Squirtle and Nidoran, and both were knocked out of sight. Skye gasped, her eyes widening.

"Squirtle!" she cried, pushing forward just the slightest. "Hey! Squirtle!"

But Skye was interrupted by the stomping of a Rhydon's foot just outside the cave. She froze, her eyes trailing up the length of its body. Standing beside him was the second Rhydon, both towering over Squirtle and Nidoran.

Neither Rhydon seemed to notice that Skye was there, so she held her breath, hoping that she wouldn't be caught. Moments later, both Rhydon charged forward and Skye tensed when hearing her Pokemon cry out in pain.

She couldn't tolerate this any longer. She wouldn't just stand by while her Pokemon got hurt. Her Pokemon had done so much for her up until now, and it was time she returned the favor. Gritting her teeth, Skye took the final push forward and pulled herself out of the cave.

Stumbling to her feet, Skye turned to see the two Rhydon with their backs to her. Squirtle and Nidoran were both laying on the ground just a few feet in front of them, struggling to stand back up. Skye clenched her fists by her sides, trying to figure out what to do.

Glancing down, she noticed her soccer ball on the ground not far from where she stood. She jogged over to it before focusing her attention back on the Rhydon with a scowl.

" _ Hey _ !" she called loudly, drawing her foot back and striking it against the soccer ball. The ball bounced off of the back of one of the Rhydon's heads, and both turned around in confusion. Nidoran and Squirtle both looked over in alarm, but Skye stood firm. "Leave my Pokemon alone!"

One Rhydon let out an angry snort before both began to charge toward her, lowering their heads so their horns pointed forwards. Skye stood firm, pursing her lips. She hadn't thought this through. She knew there was nothing she could do, but she didn't care—not if it gave Squirtle and Nidoran the chance to escape. If she could hold off these Rhydon for at least a little while, then they could get to safety, and maybe she could somehow be all right.

Squirtle watched as the Rhydon turned and began charging towards his trainer. His entire body ached as he lay on the ground beside Nidoran, but something surged inside him when he saw Skye being attacked—the same feeling he felt when he jumped after her into the river. Despite his pain and exhaustion, Squirtle jumped to his feet, bolting to Skye without hesitation.

Skye's eyes widened when she saw Squirtle approaching from behind the Rhydon, and held out a hand to stop him. "Squirtle, no!"

But Squirtle didn't listen. Furrowing his brows together, Squirtle leapt into the air and withdrew into his shell. Skye gasped when Squirtle's shell began to spin on the ground, quickly making his way towards her. Moments later, he spun in front of the Rhydon, kicking up dirt from the ground and blasting it into their faces.

Both Rhydon let out cries of pain as they began to desperately rub their hands against their eyes. The dirt left them unable to see as they stumbled around blindly, and Squirtle hopped out of his shell and stared down the two Rhydon aggressively.

"Y-you blinded them…!" Skye gawked, surprised that Squirtle was able to think so quickly. He turned his head around, flashing her a confident smile. Skye huffed and cracked a grin. "Nice thinking!"

Angered, one of the Rhydon turned around and swung his tail at Squirtle and Skye—both of whom managed to narrowly dodge the hit. Landing on her leg, Skye felt it throb in pain, her balance shaking.

"It looks like they aren't ready to give up yet," Skye winced, taking a knee as the Rhydon stumbled towards them. Squirtle looked back to her in concern.

Seeing the Rhydon approaching Skye and Squirtle, Nidoran began to run toward them. Upon seeing the soccer ball, Nidoran quickly spun around and kicked it with her hind legs—striking one of the Rhydon in the side.

Skye's mouth gaped open, catching the ball as it bounced off of Rhydon's stone body. Rhydon let out a confused roar, unsure of what hit him, and raising his fist, he blindly struck his friend in the jaw.

Nidoran bolted her way over to Skye and Squirtle. Skye looked down at her in alarm, raising her brows. "You used our plan from before to get them to attack each other!"

Nidoran held her head up in pride, stomping her foot against the ground. "Ni!"

But before Skye got the chance to thank Nidoran or Squirtle properly, one of the Rhydon threw the other to the ground.

Catching her breath, Skye quickly rose to her feet. "Let's talk later," she said quickly, looking down to her Pokemon. "Come on!"

With that, the three ran off into the trees—leaving the Rhydon behind them.

* * *

Skye bit her lip in frustration as she rubbed two sticks together, each small spark going out in an instant. Squirtle sat beside her, putting down the last of the wood he had collected, and watched as Skye gave it another try.

A flame caught, and Skye quickly bent down, blowing on it. Squirtle joined her, and when the flame lit up the pile of wood, the two bumped fists triumphantly.

"Piece of cake," Skye dismissed with pride, looking to the fire. Nidoran trailed back from the woods, dropping the last of the berries she had found in front of them. She smiled as she made her way to Skye and Squirtle, happy to see the fire finally lit.

Skye picked up the berries, distributing them between the three. "These look great," she said, looking at the berry. She looked to Nidoran. "You must know all the best stuff to eat, having been a wild Pokemon and all."

Nidoran puffed out her chest. "Ni," she said confidently, and Squirtle bit into the berry, perking up in delight. It had been the first thing any of them had eaten in hours.

The three ate in haste and desperation, hungry from their long day. Chewing her berry, Skye glanced over to Squirtle and Nidoran as they ate, watching them for a moment in silence. Swallowing, Skye licked her lips.

"…I'm sorry."

Squirtle and Nidoran lifted their heads to Skye, taken back by the comment. They looked at her expectantly, and Skye frowned, putting her berry back on the ground.

"I've been a bad trainer—and an even bigger jerk." She glanced away. "I've been selfish. I've been only thinking of myself, and not about you guys or your feelings." She hung her head. "I didn't take the time to understand you when we lost, and I should have. Even with this hike, I've been nothing but awful."

Nidoran and Squirtle collected themselves, frowning as they approached Skye. Skye's shoulders tensed and she folded her fists in her lap.

"I shouldn't have snapped at you after we fell in the river," she murmured, lifting her head to look at her Pokemon. "There's no way I could have made it out of that water on my own—not while I was unconscious like that."

Skye turned her head to Squirtle and he perked up. "Squirtle… You saved me, didn't you?" she asked, her eyes becoming serious. "You jumped off of that bridge so you could go after me and pull me out of the water."

Squirtle blinked a few times, but then lowered his head and scuffed his foot against the ground.

Skye frowned. "You were afraid to cross the bridge, but you risked your life to jump after me—and if you hadn't swam me to safety, I would have been a goner."

Squirtle smiled just the slightest, putting a hand to his shell. "Squirtle squirt!"

Skye smiled and rubbed his head before looking to Nidoran. "And Nidoran, you climbed down the trench so you could help me and Squirtle. It was all muddy and got you dirty, but you did it anyways," she said, and Nidoran tilted her head. "I get the feeling you were even the one who collected those Oran Berries for me."

Nidoran blinked a few times before holding up her head in pride. "Nido!"

Skye smiled, but then her eyes wavered. "You guys have been doing so much for me up until now, and I don't deserve any of it." Inhaling, she looked to them, her eyes shining in the moonlight. "Thank you for saving my life—and thank you for always bearing with me."

Both of her Pokemon lit up and Squirtle jumped into Skye's arms, causing Skye to gasp and lean back. Looking down at Squirtle, she smiled, hugging him tightly. Nidoran jumped into Skye's lap, too, wagging her tail as she nuzzled into her stomach. Skye let out a light laugh, petting the top of her head before putting Squirtle down beside her.

"…I think I figured it out," she began, looking at her Pokemon. "Why we lost our battle, I mean."

Squirtle tilted his head curiously, and Nidoran hopped out of Skye's lap to sit beside her.

"I realized it back when I was stuck in that cave." Skye turned her attention to Squirtle. "When I was trapped, I felt what you must have felt the other day."

Squirtle blinked, and Skye continued. "I ordered you into that rockslide without knowing your feelings. It's been like that this whole time—me just standing to the side, like I'm detached from you." She put her hand on Squirtle's head, and he looked up at her. "As your trainer, I have to feel what you feel. There are no sidelines."

She had always been off to the side, commanding Squirtle with no thoughts of consequence. Squirtle was the one on the battlefield—not her. But that was wrong. Skye  _ was _ on the battlefield—she just hadn't realized it. To fight as one, Squirtle's feelings had to become Skye's feelings, and Skye's had to become Squirtle's.

That's what it meant to have their hearts be one.

"Squirt," Squirtle said, his eyes sparkling up at her. Nidoran smiled, and Skye scratched her under her chin.

"And you know, we made a pretty good team back there," she commented, offering a grin. She looked to Nidoran. "It was thanks to Nidoran's high senses that we were able to see in the dark like that." She then looked to Squirtle. "And it was thanks to Squirtle's bravery that we could get out of there at all." She looked to the fire, smiling. "It's because we all wanted to protect each other—we understood each other's feelings, and our victory was the result."

"Squirt!"

"Ni!"

Skye laughed, laying down on her back with Nidoran and Squirtle on each side of her. The fire flickered beside them, cracking and popping embers in the quiet of the night.

"…That's how I always want to fight," Skye spoke up, and the two glanced up at her. "I want our hearts to be connected—to be fighting for the same dream." She closed her eyes. "One day, I'm going to be Champion." She looked between them. " _ We're  _ going to be Champion." She looked back to the sky and smile. "…That day will definitely come."

The two perked up, pressed against Skye. The fire was beginning to die down, and Nidoran and Squirtle closed their eyes, tired from the long day. Skye stared up, her eyes on the stars, and she extended her hand upwards.

Looking up at the sky, she suddenly felt small. It was a big world, and the road ahead was long and unseen. But Skye would become big—she would grow strong with her Pokemon, their hearts all aiming for the same dream.

Extending her arm, she grasped her hand into the sky.

* * *

**_April 9th, 2034. Late Morning. Route 3, Kanto._ **

The sun hung over the top of Mt. Moon as it poured light upon the large ranch and fields of berries. Brock's cottage was just on the horizon, and Skye ran to it, Squirtle and Nidoran by her side. Her blood pumped through her body like fire.

Conner stood inside the pen where a herd of Miltank were resting. He held out a berry for one of them, and she graciously took it from his hand, munching away happily. Conner smiled, standing up straight, but then paused when noticing Skye running towards them. He huffed as she ran by and opened his mouth to make a dry remark, but faltered. His face fell when noticing the dry blood, cuts and bruises that covered her body.

"Hey—!"

But Skye didn't stop. She reached her arm forward and yanked the front door open, bursting into the room with the berries in her hand. Without hesitation, she extended them out, her eyes beaming with pride.

"I got them!"

Squirtle and Nidoran stood by her side, happily looking up at Skye.

The entire living room went quiet. Autumn sat on the sofa with Rachel in her lap, Brock sitting beside her. Briar rose up from the armchair he was sitting in, his face relieved as he choked, "S-Skye!"

Skye paid him no mind. She panted heavily, her face still beaming as she looked to Brock. "I got them! I got your berries!" she said as she tossed them his way.

Brock gasped as the berries were so carelessly flung at him. Catching them, he looked down at them in amazement before exchanging surprised looks with Autumn. Taking a beat of silence, he rose to his feet, looking to Skye as his face became serious. "And what did you learn?"

Skye stood still for a moment before closing her eyes and inhaling. Letting out her breath, she opened her eyes, looking to Brock.

"When my Pokemon are battling, I'm on the battlefield with them. My Pokemon aren't battling for me—we're battling together, side by side." She gave a confident smile. "I feel what they feel, and they feel what I feel."

Briar looked taken back, his mouth gaping open. Brock stared at Skye with his arms crossed, her words sinking in.

Skye pursed her lips, her shoulders tensing as she waited for a response. Suddenly Brock let out a snort and began to laugh, pressing a palm to his forehead. Briar looked to him in confusion, but Skye didn't falter.

"Let's get you cleaned up," he said, calming down from his laughter. He flashed her a confident grin. "You have a gym battle waiting for you, after all."

Skye paused, her eyes lighting up as she looked down to Squirtle and Nidoran. The two let out a noise of excitement, new energy burning inside them.

Briar watched, processing. He didn't know what happened up on that mountain, but seeing the three of them together, it was clear that something had changed.

"You're lucky you came back alive," he noted dryly, making his way over to Skye. Skye let out a nervous laugh—he actually had no idea.

"I have a bath ready for you," Brock spoke up. "While you wash up, I can treat your Pokemon." He looked over her injuries. "And then we can get you taken care of, too."

Skye blinked, looking over to him. She smiled. "Oh, thanks!" She looked to Nidoran and Squirtle. "All right—this is only half-time, guys. We'll go into our second half with full throttle!"

"Squirtle!"

"Nido!"

Brock watched the three, a smile tugging at his lips. She was her father's daughter after all.

* * *

**_April 9th, 2034. Late Afternoon. Pewter City, Kanto._ **

Pulling up to the gym, Skye looked at it from the window, her eyes sparkling. Once the car came to a stop, Skye let herself out and stretched.

"Today is the day we score the winning goal!"

Everything was ready. Her special training was finally over, and her Pokemon were healed. Brock had treated Skye's injuries, covering her in bandages and band-aids. Briar claimed that she looked like she just got out of a fight with a Pokemon, and Skye assured him he didn't know the half of it.

Skye and her Pokemon had spent a good chunk of the day catching up on their rest, wanting to be totally charged before their battle. By the time they set out, all three of them were completely revitalized.

The time had finally come—the players were in place and the game was about to begin.

Briar stepped out of the car, happy to see Skye in such good spirits again. "Are you ready?"

Skye looked at him confidently. "I was born ready! That badge is as good as mine!"

Brock stepped out of the driver's side door and made his way to the back of the van, sliding open the door. Conner hopped out, and two young boys scrambled out after him.

"Go Skye!" one spoke up as they ran to her side, and the other clapped his hands.

Skye looked back at the identical twins, snickering. "Besides, how can I lose when I've got my own cheering section?" she added, shooting them a thumb's up as the boys high-fived each other.

"Matt and Mike are not your personal cheerleaders," Briar said flatly, but Skye waved him off.

Matt and Mike were Brock's five-year-old twin sons. The two admired Skye, begging to come along so they could watch—and who was Skye to say no?

"Be on your best behavior," Brock warned, and the two smiled up at him innocently. Brock was unconvinced, and Conner sighed as he pressed a finger to his temple.

Skye watched in amusement, but perked up when a flash of purple caught her eye. Blinking, she spun on her heel and paused.

"—Lizzie?"

Lizzie had been walking down the sidewalk in front of the gym, but stopped upon hearing Skye's voice. Glancing back, she paused when seeing Skye, scrunching her brows together. Turning to face her fully, she craned an eyebrow, looking Skye over. She looked like a disaster, and Lizzie wondered what could have possibly happened since she had seen her yesterday.

Skye stared at her for a moment longer. Up until now, Lizzie had only seen Skye fail. She was a step ahead of her, Skye blacked out in her shadow.

Clenching her fists at her sides, she took a deep breath.

"Lizzie!" Skye called, lighting up and running to her. "Perfect timing!" She skidded to a stop, and Lizzie leaned back just the slightest. "I'm about to win my first gym badge!"

"And?"

"And I want you to watch my battle," Skye continued, putting a hand to her chest. "You said before that I wasn't strong—so I have the right to prove you wrong, don't I?"

Lizzie stared at her, not particularly interested, but Skye's bruises kept catching her attention. She didn't know what had happened between yesterday and today, but the look in Skye's eyes had changed. Lizzie exhaled, closing her eyes.

"…I suppose I have a few minutes to spare," she answered, and Skye beamed. "I'm sure that's how long your battle will last, anyways."

Skye chose to ignore her comment, too focused on her excitement to counter. She spun around, running back to the others eagerly.

"Lizzie's gonna join us!" Skye announced.

Briar looked to Lizzie, surprised that she would agree to watch the battle. Shaking it off, he smiled at her and held up a hand in greeting. Lizzie merely glanced at him in return.

Brock raised his brows as his sons stared at her curiously. "Lizzie Rebolledo?"

Lizzie looked to him, and Brock laughed as he rubbed his head. "Man, where does the time go? It's been a while." He looked her over. "You've certainly grown—you look just like your mother." He put his hands to his hips, tilting his head. "You remember me, don't you? I'm Brock Harrison—a friend of you Mom's. We met a few times when you were youngER."

Lizzie blinked before nodding her head. "Yes, of course." She bowed politely. "It's nice to see you again, Mr. Harrison."

Brock looked down to his sons, thumbing to Lizzie. "This is Lizzie—she's a friend, so be nice, all right?"

Conner studied Lizzie, adjusting his glasses as the twins smiled brightly at her. Lizzie paid them no mind, her attention only on Skye.

"Your battle," she said simply, and Skye looked over. Blinking, she suddenly perked up and spun around.

"Yeah! Enough with the formalities!" she said enthusiastically, her blood pumping strongly as she ran toward the gym doors. "I've got a match to win!"

Pushing the front doors open, Skye stepped confidently into the Gym's entrance. "I'm ready for round two!" she declared loudly, her voice echoing off the walls.

Forrest, who was helping some of his Pokemon clean up the floor, looked over. He halted his work before smiling upon seeing Skye and the large crowd that followed her.

"Looks like a party," he commented, and Matt and Mike lit up when seeing their uncle, running toward him. Conner beamed and quickly followed behind.

"Uncle Forrest!" the twins cried in unison, and Forrest laughed as he patted their heads in greeting.

"I hope you don't mind a little noise," Brock said, and Forrest lifted his head, offering his brother a grin.

"Just like home," he joked, and Brock laughed.

Forrest then noticed Lizzie standing beside Briar and paused, straightening out. "Lizzie," he started, tilting his head. "I wasn't expecting to see you back."

Lizzie opened her mouth to speak, but Skye cut in with, "Lizzie's here to watch me win!" Lizzie deadpanned, quickly shutting her mouth.

Forrest glanced between the two. "I see," he chuckled lightly, looking to the rest of the crowd. "In that case, all of you can follow Brock up to the stands." He gestured to the side. "You'll get a good view of the match from there."

Brock nodded. "Sure thing," he said, looking to his children. "Come on, guys—let's head upstairs."

"Okay!" Matt and Mike chimed in unison before spinning to Skye.

"Beat Uncle Forrest, Skye!"

"Yeah! You've gotta win!"

Skye looked between them and grinned, putting her hands on her hips. "You bet!"

"Don't choke," Conner remarked dryly as he made his way towards the stairs. Matt and Mike chased after him, waving goodbye to Skye as they did so.

Skye flinched in irritation, but before she could retort, Brock stepped in front of her. Skye blinked and looked up at him curiously, and he smiled down at her, giving her a thumbs-up. "Do your best, Skye," he encouraged. "And remember—one heart."

Skye blinked a few times in surprise before giving him a confident look. "You've got it!"

With that, Brock offered her a final wave and followed after his children.

"Knock 'em dead, Skye."

Skye blinked, turning to see Briar standing by her side. He smiled, his fist held out to her. Skye stared at his fist before giving him a confident smile and bumping her own fist against his.

"Just watch me!"

Lizzie watched their exchange wordlessly, her eyes narrowing just the slightest. She stood still for a moment longer before turning on her heel and walking towards the stairs, Briar soon following behind.

Skye eagerly turned to Forrest with a smile. "When can we start?"

Forrest thumbed to the doors behind him. "Right now," he declared, turning around and pushing them open.

Skye felt a rush go up her spine as Forrest stepped into the stadium. Her time had finally come—this was her moment to get the Boulder Badge and take the first step towards becoming Champion. Inhaling, Skye stepped forward into the battle zone, the stadium lights shining down on her.

Forrest stood in the trainer's box across the field and a referee made his way onto the podium at the center, looking between the two as he waited for Skye and Forrest to give him the cue.

"Go Skye, go! Go Skye, go!" Matt and Mike cheered in unison from their spot up in the stands.

Briar laughed lightly before fixating his gaze on Lizzie, who sat silently beside him. Her eyes looked dull and disinterested, and Briar frowned, wondering why she came at all.

"Is the challenger ready?" the referee called from his podium.

Skye grinned, pulling out one of her Poke Balls from her back pocket and enlarging it. "I was born ready!" she said, holding her Poke Ball out in front of her. "Today's the day I win my first badge—so get ready to hand it over, Forrest!"

Forrest laughed. "I like your attitude, Skye!" he said, taking out his own Poke Ball. "But let's see if your battle skills match!"

The referee nodded and looked between the two. "The second Pewter City Gym battle between Gym Leader Forrest Harrison and challenger Skylar Ketchum of Pallet Town will now begin!" he said, beginning the referee's usual rules. "You may use two Pokemon each, and only the challenger will be allowed to substitute their Pokemon during the battle. As soon as one party's Pokemon is unable to battle, the match is over."

"Then let's get things rolling!" Forrest said, throwing his Poke Ball onto the field. "Graveler, go!"

The Poke Ball opened and a Graveler emerged from a bright, white light. He flexed his muscles, letting out a loud, "Graveler!"

Skye blinked a few times, taken back by Forrest's choice of Pokemon. "A Graveler?" she murmured, pulling out her Pokedex and holding it out in front of her.

" _Graveler. The Rock Pokemon._ _They descend from mountains by tumbling down steep slopes. They are so brutal, they smash aside obstructing trees and massive boulders with thunderous tackles._ "

Skye blinked, looking down at her Pokedex before smiling and putting it away. "That's not a problem," she said. "Because we'll be the one's smashing Graveler aside!" She threw her Poke Ball onto the field. "Nidoran, offense!"

Skye's Poke Ball opened and Nidoran pounced out of the light with a confident cry. "Nido!"

"So, you're starting with Nidoran again," Forrest noted. "Interesting—I'm eager to see what you've learned."

Skye put her hands on her hips. "A lot more than you're ready for!"

The referee held his hands into the air. "Battle, begin!"

"We're gonna take this battle right from the start!" Skye declared, extending her arm out and opening her hand. "Nidoran! Double Kick!"

"Nido!" Nidoran lunged forward, extending her hind legs towards Graveler.

"This again, huh?" Forrest huffed with a smile. "Graveler, use Iron Defense!"

Graveler grinned, letting out a "Gra," before curling his fists. His body began to glow light blue, gleaming just as Nidoran struck him with her legs.

Nidoran let out a wince and quickly jumped backwards, furrowing her brows in confusion.

Skye reeled back, watching as Graveler flexed his muscles, completely unfazed by Nidoran's attack. "What was that!?"

Conner adjusted his glasses. "Skye doesn't even know what Iron Defense is?" he commented, crossing his arms. "Some trainer she is."

Brock glanced at Conner warningly before looking back to the battle. "With Skye being such an offensive battler, Graveler's raised defenses could be a serious issue for her…"

Forrest crossed his arms. "I remembered how much you relied on physical attacks during our last battle," he started, looking to Nidoran on the battlefield. "So I specifically chose Graveler and its Iron Defense attack to counter that!"

Skye stared for a moment, studying Graveler. Licking her lips, she cracked a smirk. "No problem! We're just gonna keep giving it all we've got!" She punched her first forward. "Nidoran, use Hidden Power!"

"Ni!" Nidoran cried as her body began to glow blue. Several balls of energy circulated around her body, shooting forward towards Graveler.

Before Graveler had the chance to react, he was blasted head-on with the Hidden Power spheres and skidded backwards, letting out a loud grunt of pain.

Skye laughed, pumping her fist into the air as Nidoran smiled proudly. "Score!"

"Not so fast!" Forrest said suddenly. "Graveler, use Rock Throw!"

Opening his eyes, Graveler glared across the field to Nidoran. "Grav!" he said, slamming his fists into the ground. As he did so, several rocks shot up from the surface. Graveler grabbed hold of them and chucked them in Nidoran's direction.

Skye froze, halting her celebration. "Nidoran! Dodge!"

But Nidoran wasn't fast enough to respond to Skye's orders, and she took the direct hit. Letting out a loud cry, she slid backwards, hitting a rock on the field.

"Again!" Forrest commanded, and Graveler responded by chucking several move stones Nidoran's way.

Skye watched on as Nidoran struggled to rise back to her feet, pursing her lips in thought before looking to the oncoming rocks. Suddenly, her eyes widened as she darted her eyes back to Nidoran. "Quick! Use Poison Sting to break through those rocks!"

Lifting her head, Nidoran stood her ground firmly, letting out a "Ni!" before opening her mouth and firing multiple purple darts forward. The darts easily broke through the rocks, the remaining ones striking Graveler's center.

"Grav!" Graveler cried, pressing a hand to the ground to keep himself from falling. His body then let off purple sparks, and he winced in pain.

Briar's eyes widened as he watched Graveler struggle. "It's poisoned!"

"Nice," Skye said, smiling confidently.

Forrest scrunched his brows together, studying his Pokemon's condition for a moment before nodding. "A little poison does nothing to us!" He punched his fist forward. "Graveler, use Mega Punch!"

As if he were filled with new energy, Graveler lifted his head and quickly sprinted forward. His fist began to glow white as he pulled it back, striking forward as soon as he was close enough to Nidoran.

Nidoran took the hit, letting out a cry of pain as she fell backwards.

Skye reeled back at Graveler's speed. "Nidoran!"

"Use Mega Punch again!" Forrest ordered.

Obeying his trainer's command, Graveler struck Nidoran with his glowing fist once more, sending Nidoran flying backwards to the edge of the battle field. She landed against the ground with a 'thud', wincing in pain and as she attempted to rise to her feet.

Skye quickly turned to her Pokemon. "Nidoran! Are you okay?!" she asked hurriedly.

Closing an eye, Nidoran managed to struggle to her feet. Shaking it off, she looked to Skye and offered her a nod. "Ni!"

Skye pursed her lips, looking from Nidoran to Graveler. Graveler was panting heavily, waiting for the battle to continue, but then winced in pain as his body sparked purple once more. Skye looked back to Nidoran and offered her a smile. "Graveler isn't looking too good right now," she stated, offering Nidoran a thumbs-up. "It's time to give it all we've got!"

Nidoran blinked before giving her trainer a confident nod. "Ni!"

Looking forward, Skye pointed toward Graveler. "Let's use Hidden Power again!"

"Nido!" Nidoran chirped in agreement as her body began to glow before firing several blue spheres in Graveler's direction.

Forrest stood firm, watching Nidoran's oncoming attack without flinching. "Graveler, use Dig!"

Obeying his trainers command, Graveler sprung into the air before burrowing underground with his hands—just narrowly avoiding being hit by Hidden Power.

"It went underground!" Skye exclaimed as she began to look around the battlefield.

Nidoran's face fell, and she let out a panicked, "Nido!" as she began to frantically dart her eyes around for any sight of Graveler.

Forrest smiled in satisfaction, and Skye scowled. If Graveler could manage to land this hit, then it could very easily be over for Nidoran. Being unable to see Graveler left her feeling stuck as her mind raced to think of anything to prevent the oncoming attack. She closed her eyes tightly and her mind raced. Suddenly the memory of Nidoran's twitching ears came back to her as she listened for the wild Rhydon's movements from the night before. Inhaling sharply, Skye lifted her head and focused her attention on Nidoran.

"Nidoran!" Skye called out, and Nidoran turned her head to her. "Listen for where Graveler is underground! When you hear it, get ready to attack!"

Conner scrunched his face in confusion, tilting his head. "What's she doing?"

Briar knitted his brows together, also finding himself somewhat puzzled.

Forrest raised his brows in surprise as he watched Skye and Nidoran, waiting for his own Pokemon to emerge from the earth.

Nidoran blinked several times in confusion, and Skye smiled at her. Feeling more confident, Nidoran perked up her ears and looked forward. Closing her eyes, Nidoran focused all of her attention on her hearing. She twitched her ears, waiting for any kind of noise. Suddenly, the sound of crunching dirt caught her attention. Nidoran opened her eyes and quickly spun to her left. "Nido!"

As soon as Skye saw the ground begin to crumble, she punched forward. "Double Kick, now!"

As soon as Graveler emerged from the ground, Nidoran narrowed her eyes and jumped backwards—dodging the hit. Spinning around she struck her hind legs once under Graveler's jaw, and then again directly at his core. Graveler let out a loud cry of pain as he was sent flying backwards and crashed into the ground.

Forrest gasped in shock, leaning forward. "Graveler!"

Briar's eyes widened as he sat up. "She used Nidoran's sense of hearing!"

Brock smiled as he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Yeah—she waited and listened."

Briar grinned. "Maybe she really did learn something up on that mountain!" he said, causing Brock to laugh. Flicking his gaze to the side, Briar paused, something catching his attention.

The look on Lizzie's face had changed. Her brows were scrunched together and her eyes followed Nidoran's every movement. For the first time since they had gotten to the gym, she appeared intrigued by the battle.

Graveler winced and struggled to pull himself up again, his body sparking purple once more as he cried out.

Skye smiled confidently, punching her fist forward. "Now finish this with Hidden Power!"

"Nido!" Nidoran cried in agreement, forming several spheres of energy around her body and shooting them forward.

Graveler winced, one eye closed tightly as he slowly lifted his head to look at Nidoran. His jaw dropped, his eyes widening when seeing the oncoming attack just mere feet away from him. Unable to find the strength to move, Graveler let out a surprised, "Gra!" as he took the full impact of the attack.

"Graveler, no!" Forrest called.

Moments later, Graveler let out one final wince before falling backwards, unconscious.

"Graveler is unable to battle!" the referee said, raising a red flag in the air before pointing towards Nidoran. "Nidoran wins!"

Skye beamed, throwing her hands into the air. "Score!"

Matt and Mike began jumping up and down in celebration as they cheered loudly for Skye. Even Conner cracked a small smile in satisfaction.

"She did it!" Briar grinned.

Brock nodded his head. "And with good strategy, too."

Briar let out a small laugh and turned his head to look at Lizzie. "I'd say Skye's gotten stronger—what do you think?"

Lizzie kept her eyes on the field without saying a word. Closing her eyes, she let out a small scoff. "The battle isn't over yet," she noted flatly.

Briar blinked before letting out a sigh. "…Yeah," he said, focusing his attention back onto Skye. "You're right."

Forrest held out Graveler's Poke Ball, returning him and looking down to it. "You fought well, Graveler," he praised, slipping the ball back into his pocket before retrieving his next one. He looked across the field to Skye and smiled. "I have to say, Skye—I'm impressed. You certainly seem to have grown a bit since yesterday."

Skye blinked and looked to him before grinning, putting a hand to her chest. "It's all thanks to some special training!"

Forrest raised a brow. "Special training, huh?" He then laughed, gripping his Poke Ball strongly. "Well then, let's see how your special training does against Rhydon!" he said, throwing the Poke Ball onto the field.

Rhydon emerged from the ball a moment later in a bright light. He let out a powerful roar that bounced off of the walls, causing Matt and Mike to block their ears.

Skye tensed upon seeing the Drill Pokemon before her again. This was the same Pokemon that tore through her team so easily the day before. This time, they would win.

Lizzie's eyes studied Rhydon for a moment before trailing over to Skye, waiting to see how she would handle this opponent.

"Rhydon, use Rock Blast!" Forrest commanded suddenly, pressing his palm forward.

Rhydon let out a roar as he punched his fists forward, two rings of stone forming around his body. One stone fired forward, quickly followed by a second and third.

"Nidoran, run forward and dodge those!" Skye commanded.

"Nido" Nidoran cried as she began to make her charge forward, narrowly avoiding each of the stones that were being flung her way.

Once Nidoran was close enough to Rhydon, Skye swiped her hand in front of her and called, "Now, Scratch!"

Springing into the air, Nidoran's claws began to glow white and she slashed Rhydon across the face.

Rhydon let out a small grunt of pain, but Forrest paid it no mind as he quickly said, "Rhydon, use Horn Attack while it's in close!"

Shaking off the pain, Rhydon flicked his eyes forward just as Nidoran was about to land on the ground. Without a moment of hesitation, he jutted his head forward and stuck her with his horn.

"Nido!" Nidoran cried as she flew backwards, landing roughly against the ground and whining in pain.

Skye's eyes widened as she watched her Pokemon struggle. "Nidoran!"

Forrest smiled confidently, knowing that this was the end of the line for Nidoran. Pointing forward, he called, "Thunderbolt!"

Briar stiffened in his seat. "That's the same attack that took Skye out yesterday!"

"Forrest has wanted to make his rock-type Pokemon strong against water-type Pokemon ever since he was young," Brock commented, and Briar looked to him. "So it's not surprising that Rhydon's Thunderbolt attack would really pack a punch. Skye had better be careful."

Rhydon lifted his head as a ball of electricity formed at the tip of his horn, and Skye's heart stopped. Nidoran winced and attempted to rise back to her feet, but it was no use as Rhydon let out a low growl and lowered his head, firing a steady stream of electricity Nidoran's way.

"Nidoran, get out of the way!" Skye called loudly to her Pokemon.

But it was no use. Just as Nidoran had risen back to her feet, she was blasted with a jolt of electricity.

"Nidoran! No!" Skye yelled as the electricity that encased Nidoran's body began to fade. Nidoran stood there for a moment, sparking, before collapsing to the ground.

"Nidoran is unable to battle!" the referee declared, holding a red flag in Nidoran's direction. "Rhydon wins!"

Rhydon let out a triumphant roar, and Skye frowned as she withdrew Nidoran's Poke Ball from her pocket.

"Nidoran, return," she said, holding the Poke Ball out in front of her as Nidoran became absorbed in red light. Looking down to the ball in her hand, Skye smiled confidently. "You did a great job," she praised, clutching it tighter. "Your loss won't be meaningless. We'll take things from here."

Slipping Nidoran's Poke Ball back into her pocket, Skye looked across the field to where Rhydon stood. Taking a deep breath, she pulled another Poke Ball from her pocket. "It's you and me. Let's do this," she murmured, throwing the Poke Ball forward. "Squirtle, offense!"

The ball hit the field and Squirtle burst out of it a moment later. He shook himself before letting out a proud, "Squirtle!" and crossing his arms confidently across his chest.

Lizzie watched as Squirtle came onto the field when she suddenly felt a shaking from within her bag. Blinking, she looked down only to hear the sound of a Poke Ball opening. She gasped as Chimchar hopped into her lap, lifting his hands into the air.

"Chim!" he chirped happily, and Matt and Mike both looked delighted to see a Pokemon.

Lizzie sighed. "Chimchar, I told you not to do that!" she scolded and Chimchar looked at her curiously, tilting his head. His attention was caught upon seeing the same Squirtle that he fought the other day, and he let out a noise of excitement, bouncing in Lizzie's lap.

Lizzie blinked, watching him in silence. Closing her eyes, she wrapped her arms around him. If he was going to behave, then she supposed she could let it slide.

"This is it, Skye!" Forrest called to her. "We're both down to one Pokemon now—so let's give it everything we've got!"

"I couldn't agree more," Skye huffed, and deciding to get things started, she ordered, "Squirtle, use Tackle!"

"Squirtle!" Squirtle chirped confidently as he began to run towards Rhydon.

Forrest huffed, shaking his head with a smile. "You never learn, do you?" he said before looking to Rhydon. "Rhydon, use Horn Attack!"

Rhydon let out a roar before lowering his head and making the charge toward Squirtle.

Skye smirked. "Bingo," she whispered, flicking her gaze to Squirtle. Once Rhydon was within the range she was waiting for, she pointed forward, calling, "Squirtle, use Water Gun!"

Skidding to a stop, Squirtle looked up towards the charging Rhydon. Inhaling deeply, he blasted Rhydon in the face with Water Gun.

Rhydon let out a cry of surprise and stumbled backwards, holding his face as he attempted to shake it dry.

Forrest reeled back in surprise as he watched Rhydon stumble in pain. "What?!"

Squirtle puffed out his chest proudly, and Skye grinned, snapping her fingers. "Rhydon can't dodge an attack if he can't see it coming!"

"I get it!" Brock raised his brows. "Skye tricked Forrest into using Horn Attack by having Squirtle move in with a physical attack—but as soon as Rhydon lowered his head, he couldn't see what Skye's next movement would be. She took advantage of that and used Water Gun to throw off Rhydon!"

Briar's face lit up as he looked back to the battlefield. "For someone like Skye, that's great thinking!"

"It was reckless."

Briar blinked in surprise. He turned his head to see Lizzie sitting beside him, unamused. Her arms were crossed and Chimchar sat in her lap as he stared up at her curiously.

Scrunching his face in confusion, Briar asked, "What are you talking about?"

Lizzie closed her eyes. "There's no way she could have been 100% certain that Rhydon would use Horn Attack." She looked back to the battlefield. "He could have just as easily used Rock Blast or Thunderbolt. And then what? She would have been left in the open."

Briar smiled crookedly, murmuring, "Tell us how you really feel."

"I'm just speaking the truth—she got lucky. It was no stroke of genius." Opening her eyes, her focus returned to Skye. "She fought purely on impulse and assumption. No good trainer would risk something like that."

Brock stared at Lizzie wordlessly, but then a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth and he faced the battle again.

"I don't know about that."

Forrest stared at her in shock for a moment before putting a hand to his gut and laughing. "You keep surprising me today, Skye!" he said before grinning and pushing his palm forward. "But let's see how you and Squirtle handle Rock Blast!"

Rydon roared as he pushed his arms forward, rock rings forming around his body as a stone was sent flying Squirtle's way.

Squirtle's eyes widened in surprise as he was struck by the first stone, wincing and holding his arm.

Skye inhaled sharply. "Squirtle, dodge!"

Narrowing his focus onto Rhydon, Squirtle furrowed his brows as he narrowly managed to dodge the remaining rocks that were shot his way.

Skye let out a sigh of relief before becoming firm again. "Now use Tackle!"

"Squirtle!" Squirtle said as he sprinted towards Rhydon and rammed into its body.

Rhydon stumbled backwards, and Skye took advantage of Rhydon's condition, calling, "Now, Bite!"

Lunging forward, Squirtle opened his mouth and chomped down on Rhydon's arm, eliciting a loud roar from the Drill Pokemon.

Forrest gritted his teeth. "Shake it off, Rhydon!" he called to his Pokemon.

Letting out a grunt, Rhydon flung his arm forward, sending Squirtle flying across the field. Squirtle landed on his feet as he skidded towards Skye, watching Rhydon with focused eyes.

"Good job, Squirtle!" Skye praised, looking to her Pokemon with a smile.

Squirtle turned to her, giving her a confident thumbs-up. "Squirtle!"

Forrest watched as Rhydon shook the pain away from his arm before looking back to Skye and Squirtle. "We're done playing games," Forrest said, clenching his fists. "Rhydon, use Sandstorm!"

Rhydon let out a growl as both of his arms began to glow white. He looked to the ceiling and roared, sweeping his arms in front of him.

The gust of wind that followed caused Skye to shield her face, and Squirtle skidded back just the slightest. Seconds later, the entire battle field was covered in sand blowing in all directions.

Lowering her arm, Skye could still see Rhydon standing firmly in the middle of the wild storm, while Forrest stood behind him with crossed arms. Squirtle however, continued to shield his eyes, wincing in pain as the sand struck him again and again.

"So, what do you think, Skye?" Forrest asked with a smile, tilting his head. "I thought I would change up our battle conditions a bit to make things more interesting."

Skye huffed, cracking a smile. "C'mon, this is nothing we can't handle!" she said confidently. "Let's go, Squirtle!"

Squirtle winced as he pulled his arm away from his eyes, squinting through the blowing sand before him. As soon as he opened his eyes, he felt a sharp pain and quickly closed them. Raising his hands to his eyes, he attempted to rub the pain away—but it was no good.

Skye blinked. "Squirtle?"

"Horn Attack, Rhydon!" Forrest ordered, not wasting a moment to hesitate.

Obeying his trainer's orders, Rhydon let out a grunt and held his head down as he charged towards Squirtle.

Skye gasped, looking to Squirtle. "Squirtle, dodge!"

Squirtle perked his head up and attempted to open his eyes, but winced in pain and closed them again. Unable to see the oncoming attack, he was hit directly by Rhydon's horn. Letting out a cry of pain, he flew back and landed on his shell.

Skye clenched her fists. "Squirtle, get up and use Water Gun!"

Looking to the sound of her voice, Squirtle winced as he jumped back to his feet. He flinched as he was struck by the oncoming sand. Still unable to open his eyes, Squirtle fired Water Gun blindly ahead of him.

"Dodge, Rhydon!" Forrest ordered, and Rhydon obeyed, jumping out of the way of Squirtle's Water Gun.

Skye paused, reeling back just the slightest as her eyes widened. "What's going on…?" she murmured to herself.

Briar's eyes widened slowly. "No way—Squirtle can't see!"

Conner gripped at his jeans. "It must have gotten sand in its eyes"

Brock took notice of how nervous Conner seemed for Skye and looked forward. "If Skye learned anything yesterday, then she'll find a way to overcome this."

"Horn Attack again!" Forrest commanded from across the field.

Scuffing his foot against the ground, Rhydon charged forward. Skye inhaled sharply and Squirtle turned his head left and right, unsure of where Rhydon was coming from. Moments later, he struck Squirtle from the side, and Squirtle fell to the ground.

Skye gritted her teeth. With Squirtle unable to see, that put them at a serious disadvantage. He couldn't dodge oncoming attacks or land attacks of his own—and with Sandstorm continuing to rage, they wouldn't be getting out of this situation any time soon.

Forrest focused his attention on Skye and Squirtle, and a small frown tugged at the corners of his mouth. After taking a moment, Forrest looked back to Rhydon and called, "Let's end this with Rock Blast!"

Rhydon turned his head to Forrest before nodding and looking back to Squirtle. Holding his arms out in front of him, Rhydon fired a rock Squirtle's way.

Squirtle winced as he rose back to his feet, but then quickly fell back again upon being struck with Rock Blast.

Skye's brow twitched as she watched Squirtle fall and struggle to rise back up. She could feel her fists shaking just the slightest. Rhydon had the upper hand, and Squirtle being unable to see left her blind as to what to do next—she couldn't predict where Squirtle would fire his attacks, just as she couldn't predict where Rhydon would strike from.

She closed her eyes tightly. Her ears were ringing and her head was pounding, taken back to how she felt during that cave-in. She was stuck—trapped with no way out and unable to see where to go next.

"Squirtle!"

Skye quickly lifted her head, snapping her eyes open as she looked to Squirtle on the battlefield. He had managed to just narrowly dodge another stone from Rock Blast, breathing heavily as he frantically turned his head back and forth. Skye paused, noticing how firm he stood. Despite the sandstorm that blinded him, Squirtle still wanted to fight—he was still waiting for Skye's command.

Her eyes widened just the slightest. This really was no different from the cave-in. Even when Skye had been blinded and trapped, she still wanted to push forward for the sake of her Pokemon. Even when she felt ready to give up, Squirtle was the one who provided the light for her to see and push forward again. He held his hand out to her to guide her out of the darkness. In that moment, she needed his help—and now he needed hers. Maybe Squirtle was blind on the battlefield, but she wasn't.

Skye felt her body fill with new energy. A bolder was hurdling Squirtle's way as he looked around in confusion. Skye's eyes darted to Squirtle and she called, "Squirtle! Dodge to your left!"

Squirtle's head perked up at the sound of Skye's voice, and without hesitation, he quickly jumped to the left, sending the bolder crashing into the ground instead.

Forrest paused and raised his brows as Rhydon fired another stone Squirtle's way.

"Now to your right!" Skye commanded.

Obeying orders, Squirtle quickly jumped to the right, avoiding yet another one of Rhydon's stones.

Skye grinned, pulling her fist back. "Yes!"

"Skye is working as Squirtle's eyes!" Briar beamed. "She's really pulling it off! It's like Squirtle isn't blinded at all!"

Brock looked at the two on the field. "That's right—they're working as one single team."

Chimchar sat in Lizzie's lap watching Squirtle skillfully dodge each oncoming attack. His eyes were shining with admiration and he looked up to his trainer. She tightened her grip on Chimchar and furrowed her brows, her complete focus on Skye and Squirtle's movements.

Forrest stared in shock for a moment before grinning. "Good! This is exactly the sort of battle I was hoping for!" he praised, smiling confidently and pointing forward. "You've got me fired up! Horn Attack!"

Rhydon let out a roar before lowering his head and charging in Squirtle's direction from the side.

Squirtle waited for Skye's command, flinching in pain from the sandstorm that continued to rush against his body.

Skye's gaze flicked to Rhydon before returning to Squirtle. "He's coming from your left! Jump forward!"

Squirtle turned his head to where he heard Rhydon's stomping feet coming from and quickly sprung forward, out of Rhydon's way.

Pointing her finger, Skye called, "Use Water Gun right in front of you! Now!"

Squirtle skidded to a stop and inhaled deeply before blasting water right into Rhydon's side. Rhydon let out a cry of pain as Skye grinned. "Tackle, dead ahead!"

Taking a quick breath, Squirtle charged forward, striking Rhydon in the stomach with his head.

Rhydon roared, falling onto his back, and as he did the sandstorm began to fade. With that, Squirtle turned his head back and forth, noticing a change in conditions. Taking the opportunity, he pressed his palms against his eyes and rubbed the remaining sand out of them.

As soon as he finished, he slowly pulled his hands a way, taking a moment before suddenly opening his eyes, a new spark in them.

Skye lit up. "All right!"

"Squirtle can see again!" Conner blurted, and the twins began cheering loudly, slamming their feet against the bleachers.

Briar grinned. "Then this match is only just getting started."

Rhydon winced as he rose back to his feet, looking at Squirtle with a fire in his eyes, and Forrest felt a flame beginning to burn within himself as well. He could tell their battle was drawing to an end, and yet he still wanted to give it everything he had.

"Horn Attack, Rhydon!" Forrest commanded.

Rhydon let out a roar as he lowered his head and made the charge towards Squirtle.

"Squirtle, Bite!" Skye called.

Squirtle stood his ground, and as soon as Rhydon came close enough, he sprung into the air and latched onto Rhydon's horn with his mouth. Rhydon let out a loud cry as he shook Squirtle off of him and threw him to the ground.

Squirtle cried out as the back of his shell crashed into the floor, and Skye tensed, calling, "Squirtle, are you okay?!"

Squirtle could feel his head beginning to spin—but he knew that he had to keep fighting. He slowly rose back to his feet, letting out a "Squirt!" as he stared Rhydon down.

Forrest smiled. "Your Squirtle has serious guts, Skye!" he commented, crossing his arms. "I don't meet many Pokemon with this much vigor!"

Skye huffed, thumbing to herself. "My Squirtle is the best there is!" she said proudly, looking to him. "And I know he'll never stop until the end!" Her gaze flicked back to Forrest. " _ We'll _ never stop! Not until we've reached our dream!"

Chimchar hopped out of Lizzie's lap and jumped onto the railing in front of him. He furrowed his brows seriously as he stared at Squirtle. Lizzie's eyes darted to him, then to the field. In that moment, she could feel her heart beating stronger.

Forrest laughed. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear!" He punched forward. "Then let's see how you handle this! Thunderbolt, Rhydon!"

Skye's eyes widened as she watched Rhydon roar and form a ball of electricity at the tip of his horn. Neither Squirtle nor Nidoran had been able to survive this attack before—it was their one-way ticket to the Pokemon Center. Squirtle swallowed and continued to stand his ground, waiting on Skye's orders. Skye looked to him and suddenly felt herself swell with confidence. This time was going to be different. They were going to win—no matter what.

In that moment, Rhydon lowered his head and fired the stream of electricity Squirtle's way.

Skye furrowed her browed as she watched it approach and called, "Squirtle! Withdraw!"

Squirtle's eyes widened and he looked back to her in shock. Skye stared at him firmly. "Just trust me!"

"Withdraw?!" Conner commented in alarm. "She's gotta be crazy! Withdraw only works on physical moves—not special moves like Thunderbolt!"

"But it's the only chance she's got," Brock added as he continued to watch the match. "There's no time for Squirtle to dodge—so the safety of his shell is the only thing on his side right now." He leaned forward, watching carefully. "Let's just hope it works."

Pursing his lips, Squirtle stared at Skye, but then quickly looked back to the fast-approaching Thunderbolt. His heart was pounding and he knew there was no time to dodge. He had to trust in Skye and know in his heart that her judgement was right. Squirtle quickly retracted into his shell just as the Thunderbolt struck his body.

Skye held her breath as she watched her Pokemon take the hit. She could hear him cry out from inside of his shell, and her chest tightened.

"Keep it going, Rhydon! Don't stop!" Forrest boomed.

Inside of his shell, Squirtle closed his eyes tightly. The pain was becoming too much to bear. His head was throbbing in agony and his entire world seemed to be fading in and out. His eyes peered outside of his shell to where Rhydon stood, seeing it begin to blur as he felt himself slip out of consciousness.

Skye pursed her lips in frustration as she watched Rhydon continue to blast Squirtle with electricity. One part of her wanted to call off the match—to make sure Squirtle wouldn't have to endure anymore pain. But another part of her was screaming even louder. Her heart was racing and she wanted to see this battle to the end—she wanted to see Squirtle succeed and hold that Gym Badge in her hand right by Squirtle's side. They couldn't stop. She had to believe in him.

Inhaling deeply, Skye clenched her fists. "Don't give up, Squirtle!" she called loudly to her Pokemon.

Squirtle's eyes snapped back open and his mind returned to reality as soon as he heard Skye calling out to him.

"You can do this! I know you're strong enough to pull through!" Skye continued to call to him. "I believe in you!"

Squirtle's eyes widened as Skye's voice reached him. The ringing in his ears grew louder and his heart began to pump quickly. Even though he was encased within an attack that could surely knock him out, she still believed in him and was still pushing him to fight. Suddenly his mind went back to the night before. He saw the Rhydon running toward Skye, ready to attack. He was weak and exhausted, but he somehow managed to find the strength to jump in and save her. She needed his strength then, and she needed it now.

Gritting his teeth, Squirtle gathered everything in his power and began spinning his shell against the ground. At first, it was just a few simple spins like he had pulled off the night before—but those spins slowly became faster and faster until he was like a spinning top on the ground.

Skye paused as she watched Squirtle spin and reeled back just the slightest. The faster he spun, the thinner the electricity that surrounded him seemed to become. Soon, he was spinning fast enough to send it flying right off of his shell. The thunderbolt bounced off of the walls and struck Rhydon, forcing him to cease his attack and jump out of the way.

Forrest stiffened as he watched Squirtle continue to spin, and soon enough, his spinning shell flew right in Rhydon's direction.

Skye's face slowly began lighting up. "That… That's Rapid Spin!"

Squirtle's shell struck Rhydon across the face, causing him to cry out in pain. Squirtle then quickly spun back to Skye, hopping out of his shell and staring down Rhydon dangerously.

Skye beamed and looked to her Pokemon. "You learned a new attack!" she gushed. "That's so totally awesome!"

Squirtle looked back to her and grinned, nodding. "Squirtle!"

"A new attack?!" Conner gawked, his jaw dropping in disbelief. "But…!"

Briar grinned, feeling the adrenaline rushing through his body as he rose to his feet. "Squirtle responded to Skye's feelings!" he said enthusiastically, leaning forward excitedly as he grabbed onto the railing. "And Rapid Spin was the result!" Cupping his hands around his mouth, he yelled, "Go Skye! Win it!"

Lizzie felt her breath catch. Chimchar's grip on the railing tightened, his flame burning stronger than before.

Forrest stared in amazement, his mouth parted just the slightest. "A new attack, huh…?" He couldn't help but smile and laugh lightly, looking to Rhydon. "Things are really getting interesting now!" He looked forward again. "So let's finish this with Rock Blast!"

Rhydon let out a roar in agreement as he began to fire several stones Squirtle's way.

Skye focused her attention back onto the battle, and Squirtle glared at Rhydon. "Forrest is right—let's finish this!" she said, punching forward. "Use Rapid Spin!"

"Squirt!" Squirtle said, hopping into his shell as he began to spin quickly towards Rhydon. Every stone that Rhydon sent Squirtle's way was easily flung off of Squirtle's quickly spinning shell and sent flying into the wall.

Forrest gasped and Rhydon's eyes widened as Squirtle moved in faster and faster. Forrest didn't have any time to think when Squirtle suddenly crashed into Rhydon's jaw and leapt into the air, out of his shell, glaring down at him.

Rhydon cried out loudly and stumbled backwards, and Skye cracked a confident smile. "Squirtle, use Water Gun!" she cried, punching her fist forward. "Go!"

Lizzie's eyes widened, a spark beginning to flare in them as Squirtle took in a deep breath and blasted Rhydon directly in the face with Water Gun. Blood rushed through her body, and an energy surged within her that she hadn't felt since that day in Jubilife City—when she saw the clash of Flare Blitz and Wild Charge.

Chimchar let out a loud cry in cheer, his flame burning strongly as Rhydon let out a roar. The close range allowed Squirtle to get the most of his blow—landing a critical hit. He fell onto his back, bringing up a small cloud of dust in the process.

Squirtle quickly jumped back a safe distance, but then winced and took a knee upon reaching Skye.

Skye's attention was fully focused on the cloud of dust before them, waiting to see what would come next. Moments later, Rhydon began to rise, growling and glaring them both down angrily.

Squirtle's eyes widened, but Skye didn't falter, standing firm.

Rhydon stood like that for a moment longer, until finally letting out a low groan and falling forward, unconscious.

The referee waited a moment before finally holding up a red flag. "Rhydon is unable to battle!" he declared, lifting his green flag and pointing it in Skye and Squirtle's direction. "Which means the winner of this match is Skylar Ketchum from Pallet Town!"

Skye stood still, staring across the battlefield with wide eyes. Her legs felt like jelly, and she was trying to make sure that she heard the referee right. She couldn't take her focus off of the fallen Rhydon before her, trying to process what had just happened.

"Squirt!"

Being pulled away from her thoughts, Skye's focus quickly shifted onto Squirtle and she could do nothing but stare. "Squirtle…"

Squirtle was smiling brightly at her, bouncing up and down in place in excitement at their victory. He clapped his hands together in celebration. "Squirtle squirt Squirtle!"

Watching Squirtle celebrate, Skye broke into a grin herself and she ran to him. "We won!" she cheered, picking him up and scooping him into her arms.

Squirtle waved his arms happily and Skye laughed, jumping up and down. "You were totally awesome!" she gushed, looking up at him. "I knew you could do it! I knew  _ we _ could do it! That Rapid Spin was totally amazing! You really got the winning goal!"

"She did it!" Briar cheered loudly, throwing his fists into the air. "She really did it!"

"She won! She won!" Matt and Mike cheered with him, jumping up and down, hugging each of Briar's legs.

Conner let out a relieved sigh, putting a hand to his chest. "Man, Skye left me on edge way too much during that battle…" he said, wiping his forehead.

Brock glanced at him, smiling wryly. "I thought you weren't going to get invested in this match," he commented. "Something about Skye boring you?"

Conner looked away, flustered. "…She was okay, I guess," he murmured.

Briar smiled proudly as he watched Skye celebrate on the battlefield with Squirtle. Despite everything, she had worked hard to obtain this. He made a mental note to ask her exactly what happened on Mt. Moon. Suddenly, Briar blinked, a flame catching his eye, and he turned his head to look at Lizzie.

She sat completely still. Her eyes were focused on the field before her, their dullness from before being replaced by something new. Her mind was rushing with thoughts of the battle she had just witnessed, her heart racing just the slightest. Chimchar blinked, looking back at her curiously before hopping off of the railing and landing in her lap.

He surprised her, and she let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding, looking down to her Pokemon. Chimchar took a moment before smiling back at her confidently.

"Chim!"

Lizzie stared back at him, and Briar could have sworn he saw a small smile tug at her lips before she focused her attention back onto Skye.

"Skye."

Skye blinked, her attention being pulled away from her celebration with Squirtle when she noticed Forrest approaching her.

"That was an amazing battle," he complimented, crossing his arms. "Your Nidoran and Squirtle really put up a good fight—you should be proud of them both."

Skye turned to Forrest fully, placing Squirtle back down on the ground. "I am!" she said, looking down to Squirtle, who smiled back at her. "We've all worked hard for this!"

"Squirtle!" Squirtle said confidently, putting his hands on his hips.

Forrest looked between the two, and then laughed. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved a badge and clutched it in his hand. "Skye," he began, looking to her seriously, and Skye straightened out. "You and your Pokemon showed incredible teamwork today. You were able to read each other's feelings and connect your hearts as one." He opened his hand, showing the badge to her. "You've proven to me that you're more than fit to own this Boulder Badge." He cracked a smile. "Congratulations."

Skye's face lit up as she stared at the badge in Forrest's hand. Reaching out her own hand, she took it and stared down at it. It was really hers now.

"Thank you, Forrest!" Skye said, cracking a grin. She then looked down to Squirtle. "We did it, Squirtle!" she said confidently, holding out her badge. "We scored a Boulder Badge!"

Squirtle leapt into the air excitedly, lifting his arms. "Squir Squirtle!"

"Hey, Skye!"

Skye blinked, turning to see Briar, Brock, and his kids running her way, and her face lit up. "Guys! What did you think?!"

Briar skidded to a stop, grinning from ear to ear. "You were amazing, Skye! I've never seen you battle like that before!" he complimented. "You were completely in sync with Nidoran and Squirtle!"

Skye closed her eyes, smiling proudly as she placed her hands on her hips. "Yeah, yeah," she said, waving a hand. "Keep the compliments coming."

Briar stopped, twitching an eye in irritation and Skye opened an eye, smiling at him. "…Thanks, though," she said sincerely, and Briar let out a sigh, smiling.

Conner stepped next to Briar, his arms crossed and he looked away, flustered. "…You were pretty good, Skye," he admitted reluctantly and Skye smirked. Conner caught sight of this, and before she could say another word, he snapped his head towards her and said, "But my brother would still totally wipe the floor with you! You got lucky!"

Skye's smirk didn't falter, and she crossed her arms, turning away from Conner. "Sure," she said teasingly. "I'll remember that the next time Leigh wins a  _ Gym Badge _ ."

Conner looked away and scowled angrily, causing a small laugh from Briar.

"You were so cool, Skye!" Matt piped up, and Skye blinked, looking down to him.

"Yeah, and that Rapid Spin!? Wow!" Mike chimed in, skidding to a stop next to his brother.

"And don't forget about Nidoran's Poison Sting!"

"Or Squirtle's Water Gun!"

"Or Nidoran's Double Kick!"

Brock sighed before walking forward, his hands in his pockets as he stepped between his sons. "What the twins are  _ trying _ to say is that you did well out there, Skye," he said, smiling. "Forrest is right—your heart was truly one with your Pokemon's, and it showed in your battle." He looked down to Squirtle. "I think you all have a much better understanding of each other now."

Skye blinked, looking down to Squirtle before focusing her attention back onto Brock and gripping the badge in her hand. "Thank you, Uncle Brock!"

Forrest crossed his arms. "And with that, you have seven badges left before you can enter the Pokemon League Tournament," he said, nodding to the badge in her hand before looking at her questioningly. "What gym do you think you'll challenge next?"

Skye cracked a grin. "Cerulean City!"

Brock raised his brows in surprise. "Cerulean City?" He put a hand to his chin, smiling thoughtfully. "A personal favorite gym of mine."

Forrest tilted his head. "Ah, right—isn't your Aunt Daisy the Gym Leader there?"

Skye nodded eagerly. "That's right! And I'm gonna battle her for a Cascade Badge!" she said, pumping her fist into the air before turning to Briar with a confident smile. "And Briar is gonna win his second contest ribbon!"

Briar looked at her with determination. "We'll both take Cerulean City full throttle!"

"Team Pallet!" Skye said proudly, bumping her fist against his.

Forrest smiled and slipped his hands into his pockets. "Best of luck to both of you, then—we'll all be cheering you on."

Brock turned to Skye and Briar. "If you're going to Cerulean City, then the fastest route will be through Mt. Moon and down Route Four," he said, catching their attention. "The walk there will take you a few weeks, and the terrain can be tough," he informed them as he opened up his bag and pulled out two large cans of Pokemon food. "So I've prepared a little something for you both."

Skye and Briar's faces both lit up as they took the cans into their hands. Skye grinned up at him. "You're the best, Uncle Brock!"

Brock laughed. "I know." He then became serious, looking between Skye and Briar. "But really, now that you've both started, don't give up. When things get hard, push through and chase your dreams. Always remember that you and your Pokemon are one team—support each other."

Skye and Briar looked to one another, Skye then looking to Squirtle before all three smiled confidently.

"You bet!"

Brock laughed, ruffling the both of their hair. "That's what I like to hear!"

Skye smiled, straightening out and fixing her hair as looked around the gym.

"…Where's Lizzie?"

Briar blinked, looking to Skye. "Oh," he started, scratching his temple. "She left."

Skye's face fell. "She  _ left _ ?!"

"Yeah," Briar nodded, glancing up thoughtfully. "I saw her go through the doors with her Chimchar—she didn't say a word to us, so I just assumed she had things to—!" But Briar was cut off mid-sentence when Skye bolted past him, running to the gym's exit. He turned to her in frustration, calling, "Hey! Where are you going!?"

Skye didn't look back as she ran through the front doors. "To find Lizzie!" she called. "I'll meet you at the Pokemon Center!"

Squirtle blinked a few times before panicking and waddling after her. "Squirtle squirt!" he cried, going right out the door with her.

Briar scowled in frustration. "Man…!" He then sighed, putting a hand to his face as he turned to face Forrest, Brock, and the others. "I'm sorry about her," he said, bowing his head apologetically. "She's got no manners—she didn't even say goodbye."

Forrest and Brock exchanged looks before they both burst out laughing. Settling down, Brock looked to the door as he remembered Lizzie. He smiled, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"It's all right," Brock assured, and Forrest smiled. He looked back to the door. "Besides, I'm sure she has her reasons."

* * *

Lizzie walked down the sidewalk, her eyes focused on the horizon in front of her as Chimchar sat on her shoulder. The sun was beginning to set behind the buildings of Pewter City, the streets glowing orange.

"Lizzie!"

Lizzie stopped in her tracks, somehow unsurprised by the voice behind her. She didn't look back, her eyes forward. Chimchar blinked and turned his head around, his face lighting up upon seeing Skye and Squirtle jogging their way.

Skye let out a few quick pants, stopping so there was distance left between them. She bent over to catch her breath, pressing her palms against her knees. After a second, she looked up at her and grinned. "What did you think?" she pressed, standing up straight and clenching her gym badge in her hand. "I was strong, wasn't I?"

Lizzie said nothing for a moment, turning her head back slightly. The look in Skye's eyes had changed, and while Lizzie couldn't quite place it, something seemed different about her—the battle had shown that. Squirtle's blast of Water Gun flashed in her mind once more, and Lizzie furrowed her brows, looking back forward. The sun was shining brightly in the sky through the cracks of the buildings, and Lizzie squinted, blinded for a moment, but then it passed. Closing her eyes, she turned to face Skye, offering her a small nod.

"It was a good battle," she complimented, and Skye perked up, looking to Squirtle proudly.

Chimchar smiled and hopped off of Lizzie's shoulder, landing on the ground before Squirtle. "Chim! Chimchar!" he pipped, and Squirtle blinked, looking at him in confusion.

Chimchar grinned at him and punched the air. "Char!"

Squirtle stared for a moment, puzzled by Chimchar's praise. Chimchar looked at him with admiration and determination, and Squirtle's eyes sparkled before lighting up.

"Squirtle!" he said enthusiastically, flexing his arms.

Lizzie watched the two interact wordlessly when Skye suddenly spoke up, "Lizzie," and she lifted her head to look at her.

A confident smile curved Skye's lips. "The next time we meet, I won't be the loser," she said, and Lizzie's brows shot up in surprise. Skye thumbed to herself. "I'm gonna keep training and getting stronger so I can reach my dreams with my Pokemon!" She pushed her fist forward. "And you'll be totally blown away!"

Lizzie looked a bit taken back, her breath catching as she stared at Skye's unfaltering expression. Despite being covered in bruises and bandages, the strength in her eyes sparked wildly, and Lizzie could feel her determination radiating off of her.

" _ I'll win every badge and I'll beat you in the Pokemon League! And after that I'll conquer the Champion League and battle my Dad! Don't doubt it!" _

Pursing her lips, Lizzie's grip on her bag tightened as she turned on her heel away from Skye. She looked to the horizon, her expression becoming firm. "…We'll see about that," she said, taking a step forward.

Skye grinned, watching as Lizzie made her way further and further down the street, her figure turning into a silhouette against the sun. Her heart pounded strongly as she watched her go.

Chimchar offered Squirtle a final wave, letting out a confident, "Chim!" before chasing after his trainer. Squirtle beamed before looking up to Skye with excitement.

Skye continued to watch as Lizzie and Chimchar disappeared into the distance. Once they were gone, she smiled down at Squirtle, who smiled back up at her. Opening her hand, she looked down to her badge proudly. Everything they had worked for was finally set into motion—their dreams were just on the horizon. Lifting her hand, she held up her badge towards the orange sky.

* * *

… _ And the journey continues! _


	7. Spiraled Path

**_July 8th, 2031. Afternoon. Dragonspiral Tower, Unova._ **

The stone tile sat carefully in her palm, a symbol carved in the center. Kierra gently closed her fingers over it, the stone cold against her skin. Lifting her head, she looked slowly around the room.

It was empty.

The tile had been on the floor, as if forgotten. Rising to her feet, Kierra looked to the walls—the surface was painted with odd letters. For some reason, she couldn't look away. Gripping the tile tighter in her hand, she inhaled. Her blue eyes glossed as she soaked in the paintings with wonder and captivation.

It was as if the room was alive.

"Kierra!"

Kierra's trance was broken. Looking over her shoulder, she saw her mother and Professor Juniper entering the room. Her mother looked exasperated.

"You can't just run off like that," Bianca lightly whined, catching her breath. "It's dangerous!"

Her mother, Bianca, was the personal assistant of the world renowned Pokemon Researcher, Professor Aurea Juniper. Her research was dedicated to the origins of Pokemon—it was why the three now stood in Dragonspiral Tower. It was the oldest tower in Unova, no one knowing when or why it was built. It was said to be the home of a legendary Pokemon, but the tower was filled with mystery. Perhaps inside it held secrets of the world's origin.

Kierra ignored her mother. "Look what I found!" she exclaimed happily, holding up the tile for them to see.

Bianca tilted her head, puffing out her cheeks slightly as she took hold of it. "What is it?" she asked, and Professor Juniper leaned over to get a closer look at the symbol imprinted into the tile.

"Ah," she said, lighting up. "It's an Unown."

Kierra blinked. "Unown?"

"I think I've heard of it," Bianca mused, putting a finger to her temple in thought. "Unown are Pokemon, right?"

Professor Juniper smiled. "Yes. Unown are very rare—they're thought to live in their own dimension, so humans can't see them." She held up a finger. "There are researchers who speculate that Unown are some of the world's original Pokemon."

Bianca perked up. "Wow, you sure know a lot about it, Professor."

"Of course," Professor Juniper retorted confidently. "After all, some believe Unown played a part in the creation of our very world."

Kierra's eyes widened at the thought, and Professor Juniper took the tile from Bianca and held it up to the light. Eyeing Kierra playfully, she added, "Who knows? Perhaps this tile means the Unown had something to do with the creation of this tower, too."

Kierra's eyes sparkled. "Do you really think so?"

"Why not?" Juniper said as she handed the tile back to Kierra and gave her a wink. "The Pokemon world is full of mysteries, after all."

Bianca nodded happily. "Right!" She looked down to Kierra. "And it's our job as scientists to solve those mysteries!" She sighed dreamily. "The Pokemon world is always so exciting!"

Professor Juniper laughed lightly, and Kierra looked back down at the tile in her hand. Taking a quick breath, she lifted her head to the two with a spark in her eyes.

"I want to solve mysteries, too!"

Juniper paused and Bianca raised her brows in surprise, the two exchanging an amused glance.

"Oh?" Juniper inquired, but Kierra spoke up again before she could say more.

"Just now, I felt like someone was talking to me," she said quickly, her eyes shining. "This room was saying something to me—I'm sure of it!" She looked determined. "And I want to find out what!"

Professor Juniper looked a bit taken back, and Bianca appeared clueless before lighting up at her daughter's words. Letting out a small huff, Professor Juniper let her lips curve into a knowing smile as she saw the fire in Kierra's eyes. Reaching into her bag, she carefully pulled out a book.

"Then I know just the thing," she started, handing her the book. "When I was little, I found a book similar to this one." She glanced to Bianca. "It was through that book that I fell into the past."

Kierra looked down at the book curiously.  _ An Introduction to Pokemon Paleontology and Archeology _ by Gary Oak. Opening the cover, she began to quickly read the first page.

"Professor Gary Oak is one of the leading researchers in Pokemon Paleontology," Professor Juniper elaborated. "He's made countless discoveries through research of Pokemon fossils and ancient habitats. In fact, he even—"

But Kierra didn't hear her. Her eyes were focused as she stared at the words with fixation, her grip tightening on the binding of the book. Without hesitation, she turned to the second page.

* * *

**_April 13th, 2034. Nightfall. Mt. Moon, Kanto._ **

"I  _ know _ this is the right way."

"You said that the last three times."

Skye ignored Briar, walking down the left tunnel with confidence. Briar shook her off, looking at his map. He furrowed his brows, leaning his head down to look at it more closely. "This doesn't seem like the way to Route 4."

Charmeleon waddled beside him, the glow of his tail lighting the way as he watched Skye with tired eyes.

"Oh, we're not going to Route 4," Skye said absentmindedly, and Briar stopped dead in his tracks.

"We're not going to Route 4," Briar repeated dryly, his grip on the map tightening.

Skye looked over her shoulder, flashing him a grin. "That's right—not until we find a Moon Stone!"

Briar pursed his lips, putting a hand to his temple to restrain himself. "A Moon Stone?"

Skye clenched her fist. "Yeah—Uncle Brock told me that I could find one here!" She smiled brightly, taking out a Poke Ball and looking down at it. "You know, for when Nidoran is ready to evolve into her final form!"

Briar opened his mouth to protest, but then gave in, folding up his map. It was very like Skye to act on impulse without telling him, but he at least decided it was good she was thinking ahead for once.

Suddenly, Briar felt his pocket vibrate, and he blinked as he pulled out his Pokegear. Skye looked over curiously, and Briar answered.

"Dad?"

" _ Hey," _ Gary greeted, his voice breaking up through static caused by the cave's walls.  _ "Did I catch you at a bad time?" _

Briar shook his head, putting a hand to his ear so he could hear him better. "Oh, no—thanks to Skye, I have all the time in the world," he answered sarcastically, and Skye shot him a look. "What's up?"

Gary decided not to ask, letting out a sigh at the thought of whatever trouble Skye had gotten herself into.  _ "I just wanted to let you two know that I'll be out of the lab for a few weeks." _

Briar raised his brows. "Are you going somewhere?"

" _ Yeah—I'll be leaving for a research expedition in Johto tomorrow, _ " Gary elaborated. " _ Apparently some researchers I'm familiar with found Pokemon fossils around the Ruins of Alph, and they want me to check them out. I'm also going to visit with Professor Elm and attend some lectures while I'm there. _ "

"Sounds like quite the trip," Briar said thoughtfully before perking up with a smile. "Hey, if you're going to Johto, can you bring me back something cool?"

" _ Like an action figure?" _ Gary teased, and Briar deadpanned.

"Nevermind," he said dryly, and Gary snickered.

" _ Don't worry—I always satisfy." _

"Mom would say otherwise," Briar commented, and Gary instantly became unamused.

" _ Very funny." _

Briar smirked as Gary continued, " _ Anyways, if you need something from the lab, Tracey will take care of it for you—be sure to let Skye know, too. _ "

Briar closed his eyes. "Yeah, I will," he affirmed. A sudden crash caused him to wince, and he looked over quickly to see Skye kicking the rock wall.

"Ow! Stupid rocks!" she yelled, rubbing her head. Briar then noticed a small rock on the ground beside her. Looking back to the bump on her head, he put two and two together, twisting his face. She gave the wall another kick, and Briar looked up to see a rock begin to wobble. His eyes widening, he snapped back to the Pokegear.

"Sorry, Dad—I have to do damage control."

He pressed the end button before Gary got the chance to say another word. Rushing over to Skye, he yanked her away from the wall. Skye looked at him angrily, and he gave her a glare.

"Stop being stupid," he scolded, gesturing up to the ceiling. Skye glanced up, seeing a stray rock sway just the slightest. "Do you want to get us caved in?"

Skye pursed her lips, staring at him in agitation. Brushing him off, she shoved him away, crossing her arms with a, "hmph." Briar sighed, dusting off his shirt, and Skye kept walking without looking back. Pausing, Briar looked up to see she was already gone.

Growling, he bolted after her, Charmeleon by his side.

"Skye!"

* * *

"What do we do now?"

Kierra slumped to the ground, moping as she rubbed her foot. Snivy frowned as he plopped down beside her, looking up at her sadly. Looking at her dead Xtransceiver, Kierra slumped her shoulders.

"Are we going to be stuck here forever?"

It had been four days since she had arrived in Kanto. She thought she would have been in Pallet Town by now. She had been lost in this cave since yesterday, her food running low and her heart sinking in her stomach. Closing her eyes, she realized just how tired she felt—and for a moment, she could see the lab library back home flash in her mind.

"Skye!"

Kierra's eyes snapped open. Inhaling, she quickly stumbled to her feet. "Someone else is here!" she exclaimed, relieved and excited. Snivy perked up, bouncing to her side. Running to the end of the tunnel, Kierra peeked over the corner, staying concealed behind the rock wall. A girl ran by, a boy and a Charmeleon trailing behind her.

Kierra watched with wide eyes as the girl strode down the tunnel with confidence, disappearing into the darkness. The light from Charmeleon's tail glowed in the distance as the boy followed after her. Kierra pursed her lips as she fidgeted, and Snivy looked to her questioningly.

"…That girl really looked like she knew where she was going," Kierra noted after a moment, observing how fast she ran. The light from Charmeleon's tail began to dim into the darkness. It wouldn't be long before they were completely out of sight, and she would be left alone again.

Shaking her thoughts away, she looked down at Snivy. "Let's follow them!"

Snivy blinked as his trainer rose to her feet, but then nodded in agreement. Kierra waited another moment to give herself a little more distance between them before following in their footsteps.

* * *

**_January 22nd, 2033. Afternoon. Aspertia City, Unova._ **

"Who can tell me the difference between a Skull Fossil and an Armor Fossil?"

Kierra shot her hand in the air instantly, pursing her lips in eagerness. Cheren stood at the front of the class, eyeing her warily before looking around the room.

"Does anyone else have the answer?" he asked, but the other children averted their gaze. Some gave Kierra an odd look, but she didn't seem to care.

Sighing in resignation, Cheren closed his eyes. "Yes, Kierra?"

Kierra smiled, satisfied. "The Skull Fossil comes from the Pokemon Cranidos, while the Armor Fossil comes from the Pokemon Shieldon," she answered proudly. "They're both fossils that are native to the Sinnoh region."

"That's correct," Cheren said, and Kierra lit up as she basked in the moment. Before Cheren could say more, the bell suddenly rang, and he looked to the clock. Looking back to the children, he gestured toward the board as they hurriedly began to collect their things.

"Don't forget to read pages 119-131 in your textbooks," he said, and the children thanked him for the lesson as they walked out the door. Picking up the eraser, he swiped it across the board. It was the last class for the day, and he was shifting his mind from Teacher to Gym Leader.

"Hey, we were thinking of grabbing some smoothies—wanna come?"

Cheren blinked, glancing behind him to see two girls standing beside Kierra's desk. Kierra lifted her head at them, offering them a smile as she closed her book.

"Sorry, I can't," she dismissed with a wave of her hand.

"Oh, do you already have plans?" one of the girls asked.

Kierra's eyes sparked in excitement. "There's this new exhibit at the Nacrene City museum," she gushed, putting a hand to her cheek. "They're featuring Helix and Dome fossils brought all the way from the Kanto region!"

The girls reeled back just the slightest, quickly regretting they asked. When Kierra got that look in her eyes, it was known to be nothing but trouble, words falling out of her mouth like water. Kierra didn't notice their change in expressions, continuing quickly.

"Did you know that the Helix Fossil is from a Pokemon called Omanyte? The fossil is actually just its shell—it's thought that the shells of Omanyte were used to protect it against predators." She made a face. "A lot of Pokemon would suck it right out of its shell—like a smoothie!"

The girls went a bit pale, taking a slow step back. Kierra kept talking, but one girl spoke up, interrupting with a nervous smile.

"I just remembered, we're actually running late for something," she said, and the other girl nodded quickly. "Sorry." With that, the two rushed out of the room, whispering between each other as they gave Kierra one last glance.

Kierra didn't seem to take any notice, smiling just the same as she turned back to her desk and finished packing her bag.

Cheren watched Kierra from the corner of his eye, frowning. Putting down his eraser, he made his way to her desk.

"I thought you liked smoothies."

Kierra perked up, surprised to see Cheren beside her. Standing up, she slipped her bag over her shoulder.

"I do," she assured. "But I've been waiting for this exhibit for months."

"The fossils aren't going anywhere," Cheren lightly argued, and Kierra puffed out her cheeks at him.

"I can't wait another minute," she whined in protest. "I have to see them as soon as possible!"

Cheren said nothing, watching Kierra a moment longer. Her eyes looked pleading and full of energy. Sighing, he held up his hands in defeat.

"All right—then I'll drive you."

Kierra beamed. "Thanks, Dad!"

Cheren gave a small smile in return, Kierra leaving the room with an excited buzz. Cheren stood there, silent for a moment before following and closing the door behind him.

Kierra had a bounce in her step as she walked down the hall, Cheren by her side. Cheren glanced at her, and he smiled slightly, his daughter's eagerness somehow contagious. He supposed it had been a long time since he had been to Nacrene City.

"Snivy, Oshawott, Tepig—they're all so cool, I don't know how I'm supposed to pick!"

Cheren's attention was caught, looking over to see two boys conversing by the lockers.

"Hey, when we start our journey, do you wanna go together?"

Cheren pressed his lips together, words flashing back to him in fuzzy noise.

_ "Hey, let's take our first step on Route 1 together! One, two!" _

Glancing to Kierra, for a moment, he thought he had seen Bianca. Closing his eyes, he ran his fingers through his hair in remembrance of that very first day. His heart suddenly felt warm, and he looked back to his daughter.

"Your tenth birthday is coming up in a few months, isn't it?"

Cheren's off-handed question took Kierra by surprise, but she smiled in pride. "Mm—that's right!" She looked forward and hummed, "Just three more months!"

"Have you thought about going on a Pokemon journey?" he asked, sliding his hands into his pockets.

"No," Kierra responded flatly, and Cheren was taken back that she didn't even seem to blink. Realizing her father was looking at her expectantly, she elaborated, "I can't leave school—I still have so much to learn!"

Cheren offered a small smile. "There are some things that not even books can teach you," he said, and Kierra pouted. "The entire world is a classroom."

" _ Dad _ …"

Cheren ignored her. Looking up, his eyes went soft in remembrance. "You know, sometimes you remind me of myself when I was your age."

"I'm nothing like you," Kierra whined, but Cheren only eyed her in amusement before she continued with, "Now come on—if we don't hurry, the museum will be closed before we even leave!"

With that, Kierra rushed ahead, and Cheren went quiet, watching her as she exited through the front door. She disappeared into the white light, the door closing behind her. Cheren exhaled, closing his eyes as a child passed him in the hall.

She really did remind him of how naïve he had been back then.

* * *

**_April 13th, 2034. Nightfall. Mt. Moon, Kanto._ **

Briar rubbed the back of his neck, massaging the ache he could feel coming on. Skye had calmed down from earlier—Briar would have been thankful, but instead she was finicky as she kept glancing around with an odd sense of urgency.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, craning an eyebrow.

Skye inhaled sharply, snapping up straight. Eyeing him, she pursed her lips as she furrowed her brows, giving the tunnel a quick once over before leaning towards him.

"I think we're being watched," she whispered to him, glancing back cautiously. "I keep hearing noises."

Briar blinked, turning his head back before looking forward. "Maybe it's just a wild Zubat." He waved her off. "There's no reason to get worked up over nothing."

"It's  _ not _ a Zubat," Skye retorted hotly. Going a bit pale, she bit her lip. "It's  _ aliens _ ."

Briar shot her a dry look. "Aliens?"

Skye ruffled her hair quickly, becoming panicked. "Aliens!" She looked around. "Mt. Moon is full of 'em!" She twisted her face. "Don't you know that aliens came to earth right here on this mountain?! There was even a whole TV special about it!"

Briar blinked, putting his fist to his hand in realization. "Oh—you mean the Clefairy."

"A codename," Skye muttered, and Briar gave her a questioning look. Taking a breath in, Skye cupped her hands to her mouth. "A-aliens! Just so you know, we're not scared of you! We're Pokemon Trainers!"

"Your knees are shaking," Briar pointed out, and Skye winced as she narrowed her gaze.

"The Moon Stone is their treasure," Skye continued, ignoring him. "If we're not careful, they'll abduct us!"

Briar scrunched his brows together, trying to process Skye's words. "Skye, I don't think—!"

Just then, there was a crash, and both Briar and Skye jumped. Skye spun on her heel in alarm, her face falling as her color drained.

"W-we surrender!" she said hurriedly, holding her hands up. Briar ignored her and walked over cautiously to the source of the noise, Charmeleon creeping defensively behind him. Pausing, he suddenly became concerned upon what he saw, bending down on one knee.

"Are you all right?"

A girl with golden hair lay on the ground, a mess of rocks around her. She hissed, whining as she sat up slowly, rubbing her back. "O-ow…"

A Snivy popped out from around the corner in a rushed panic. "Sni!" he cried upon seeing the girl covered in rocks. He bent over, quickly pulling them off of her and Charmeleon watched on in confusion.

Briar offered a hand to her. "Are you hurt?"

The girl shook her head, taking his hand as he pulled her up to her feet. She gave a nervous laugh, dusting off the bottom of her blue skirt. "I'm fine, I'm fine!"

Skye came over, taking slow steps as she did so. Stepping behind Briar, she peeked out from over his shoulder as she stared the girl down. Briar glanced back at her, unamused.

"Don't mind my friend," Briar said dismissively. He looked back to the girl pleasantly, gesturing to himself. "My name is Briar—and this is Skye."

"Don't tell her my name," Skye whispered harshly. Briar rolled his eyes, bopping her lightly on the top of the head with his fist.

The girl blinked a few times, looking between the two. She felt awkward about being caught, smiling nervously as she adjusted the rim of her hat. "I'm Kierra," she introduced before looking down to her side. "And this is my partner, Snivy."

Snivy held up a hand in greeting. "Snivy!"

Briar raised his brows, taking out his Pokedex and holding it before the green Pokemon.

" _ Snivy, the Grass Snake Pokemon. Cool, calm, and collected, Snivy uses photosynthesis to collect energy with the leaf on its tail. _ "

Charmeleon raised a brow, studying the Pokemon before letting out a huff and turning his head away. This only seemed to irk Snivy as he shot the Flame Pokemon a glare.

Briar sighed at Charmeleon before returning his focus to Kierra questioningly. "If you don't mind me asking," he started, slipping his Pokedex back into his pocket. "What were you doing covered in all those rocks?"

Skye's grip on Briar's shirt tightened, and her eyes narrowed. "Yeah!" she pipped up. "It's awfully suspicious." Briar gave her a tired look.

Kierra's cheeks dusted red and she coughed, fidgeting with her shirt. "Well, Snivy and I were making our way through one of the tunnels, but then we ran into this angry Graveler and the next thing we knew, we weren't in that tunnel anymore, but some  _ other _ tunnel." She spoke rapidly with jumbled words, and both Skye and Briar scrunched their faces in confusion as Kierra continued to shift nervously. "And then My Xtransceiver died—you wouldn't believe how bad my signal was in here anyways—so I was kind of bummed out. And then I saw you," her eyes snapped to Skye, who flinched. "And you were running, so you looked like you knew where you were going, and Charmeleon's tail was—!"

"Are you lost?" Briar clarified for her before she could say anymore.

Kierra stiffened and Snivy pressed a hand to his face in embarrassment. Kierra shifted her gaze between Briar and Skye before letting out a nervous laugh, scratching her cheek. "… Maybe just a little."

Skye quickly tapped Briar on the shoulder. "Briar," she said in a hushed voice, and Briar glanced back at her. "Stop mingling with the enemy—we have to find the Moon Stone!"

Briar narrowed his eyes at her. "She's just a girl," he snapped quietly. "Besides, we can't just leave her here like this."

At the mention of the Moon Stone, Kierra perked up. An image of a large, glistening rock she had seen the day prior came to mind—taking this as her opportunity, she lit up and raised a finger in the air.

"I know where the Moon Stone is!"

Briar and Skye both paused, snapping their heads back to Kierra. Briar then smiled, but just as he opened his mouth to speak, Skye covered it.

"Don't fall for it," she warned him, giving Kierra an untrusting glance. "She's going to take us right to her spaceship!"

Briar shoved Skye away from him, straightening out his shirt as he shot her a glare. "You're being rude," he snapped, and Skye crossed her arms. "Kierra is  _ not _ an alien."

Skye scoffed, looking away. "How else would she know where the Moon Stone is?" she muttered, and Briar gave a frustrated sigh, rubbing his temple. Ignoring her, he looked back to Kierra with an apologetic smile.

"We would really appreciate it if you could show us the way," Briar told her, elbowing Skye in the side to emphasize the word "we". She winced, giving him a sharp look.

Kierra's eyes sparkled, almost as if she was oblivious to Briar and Skye's exchange. Simply happy to be in company, she turned on her heel, humming in her throat as she pointed forward.

"Leave it to me!" she declared proudly, and Snivy followed her as she stepped forward. Briar began to walk, but stopped when noticing Skye still standing in place. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed her arm and pulled her forward, causing her to stumble as they trailed behind.

* * *

**_February 9th, 2034. Afternoon. Nuvema Town, Unova._ **

Kierra flipped the page. She sat cross-legged on the floor, a mess of books cluttering around her. The laboratory's library was empty, the lights off on the other side of the room. One light flickered, dimming before it broke to black. She turned the page.

She sat by the window, the sun spilling into the room and lighting up the pages of her book. Pausing, she looked outside, noticing a girl playing with a Lillipup by the trees. Her eyes dulling, she looked back to her book, turning the page. Something felt like it was missing—but she was sure that she hadn't misplaced anything, always keeping everything neatly in order. Realizing she couldn't remember what she had just read, she furrowed her brows as she flipped back to the previous page.

She looked back out the window. The girl was gone. Exhaling, Kierra closed her book, shaking it off. She decided she would just get a new book.

Pushing over a flimsy box, she stepped onto it so she could reach the top shelf. She swayed as she stretched her arm in an attempt to grab the book she wanted.

A Snivy waddled its way down the hall of the laboratory, stopping when seeing Kierra through the open door of the library. He watched her, tilting his head curiously, but gasped when getting a closer look. Her foot was beginning to sink, the box giving in under her weight. Wobbling at the shift, Kierra inhaled sharply, and Snivy bolted toward her without a second thought.

Kierra closed her eyes tightly, anticipating the impact of her fall, but paused when she felt nothing. Blinking her eyes open, she looked around curiously, spotting Snivy behind her. It was then she noticed the green vines holding her up in mid-air, and Snivy let her down to the ground gently.

"A-ah," Kierra breathed, flattening out her skirt. Snivy retracted his vines, and Kierra tilted her head. "You're Professor Juniper's Snivy, aren't you?"

Snivy nodded, and Kierra smiled brightly. "Thanks for the save." She laughed nervously, rubbing her head. "I was just trying to get that book up there—I guess I wasn't paying much attention."

Snivy looked up to the book, blinking before extending one of his vines to the shelf. He wrapped the vine around the book, pulling it from the shelf and handing it to Kierra. Lighting up, Kierra sat back down on the floor, and Snivy came over, looking at the book with interest.

"Thanks," she said, opening the book. As soon as the book was open, Kierra's eyes began to absorb the words written on its pages, Snivy's presence drowned out completely.

Snivy blinked as he watched Kierra's eyes quickly dart back and forth as she read, turning the pages at an abnormally fast pace. He wondered what must have been so interesting about a book that would make someone read so fast. Tilting his head, he waddled over and plopped himself down beside Kierra, attempting to get a look at the pictures on the pages.

After a moment, Snivy noticed Kierra's pace slow down, and her eyes dulled as she gripped the page she held between her fingers. That feeling from before was returning to her. She was starting to realize that it had been a while since she had heard from the girls who used to talk to her in class. She remembered something about them going off on a Pokemon journey together last April. She wondered if they still got smoothies.

"Sni?"

Snapping back to reality, Kierra's focus shifted to the Snivy who was now sitting beside her. He was looking at her expectantly, a hint of worry in his eyes. Kierra quickly shook her head and offered him a smile.

"I'm fine," she assured, looking back to the book. "I was just remembering something, is all."

Snivy blinked, but then smiled, tapping his hand lightly against the pages of her book. Kierra stared at him in confusion, but then perked up upon realizing that he wanted to know what she was reading.

She scooted closer to Snivy and lowered the book so he could see. "This is a book about the ancient Pokemon world," she started, grazing her fingertips over the paper. It was the same book Professor Juniper had given her years ago—the book that pushed her into the sky. "It's one of my favorites."

Her heart fluttered, and Snivy continued to listen eagerly. Flipping the page, she pointed to a picture of a spiral-shaped fossil. "This is a Helix Fossil," she explained, and Snivy perked up. "It's a fossil of a Pokemon called Omanyte that lived over 2 million years ago—but with modern science, they can bring these Pokemon back to life." She put a hand to her cheek dreamily, pointing to a picture of a small, blue Pokemon beside it. "They have real Omanyte living and breathing like they were never extinct at all!"

Snivy stared at the pictures in amazement. He didn't totally understand what Kierra was talking about—but she spoke with such passion and excitement that he couldn't seem to look away.

"And that's only the start," Kierra continued excitedly, looking to Snivy. "By studying ancient Pokemon, we can piece together the secrets of our world. There's still a lot we don't know about Pokemon—where they come from, why they're here." She looked out the window. "When we learn about the past, we can have a better understanding of Pokemon in the present." She looked back to Snivy and smiled. "And when that happens, we can become even closer to them."

Snivy's eyes sparkled as Kierra spoke, lightly tapping the book and looking at her expectantly. Kierra blinked, smiling as she turned the page for him.

"Professor Gary Oak wrote this book," Kierra noted, skimming over the page. "I'm actually a big fan of his. He's contributed so much to the field of Pokemon Paleontology." She pointed to a picture of an Aerodactyl. "He's so incredible that he was even able to revive an Aerodactyl when he was just 13-years-old!"

Snivy studied the Pokemon closely, never seeing something so ferocious looking before. Kierra flipped the page for him again, but then lifted her head to look back out the window, going quiet.

"He's so amazing," she repeated, a smile tugging at her lips. "I want to be like that, too."

Snivy looked up at her, tilting his head. Kierra looked back at him, lighting up as she slipped a stone tile from her bag.

"I found this tile the first time I went to Dragonspiral Tower," she said, allowing Snivy to get a better look at it. The memory of the small stone sitting on the floor of the large, empty room flashed in her mind. "…It's like this tile was waiting for me." She smiled sheepishly. "I know that sounds silly, but it's what I think." She looked down to it. "That's why I want to learn where it came from—I feel like it must be holding something important, and I'm the one it chose."

Slipping the tile back into her bag, she took a pause before letting out a nervous laugh. "Though I doubt you understand what I'm talking about, huh?" She supposed a Pokemon raised in a laboratory would have little knowledge or understanding of the outside world.

"Sniv," Snivy said, turning the page again. Kierra blinked, glancing to the book before looking back to Snivy.

"…But maybe you want to understand," Kierra piped up, and Snivy looked to her, nodding eagerly. Rising to her feet, she gave Snivy a confident smile. "All right! Then why don't we go see the new Plume Fossil that came in to the lab today?"

Snivy beamed, giving a nod. "Vy!"

Kierra let out a giggle and rose to her feet. She eagerly stepped in place for a moment before running forward. "Let's learn everything we can!" she called, and Snivy followed behind her with new excitement.

* * *

**_April 13th, 2034. Night. Mt. Moon, Kanto._ **

Kierra's face fell, stiffening as Snivy's Flash attack lit up the rock wall in their path. Skye, Briar and Charmeleon approached behind her, and her face heated up when hearing them come to a stop.

Gulping, she let out a nervous laugh, rubbing her head as she spun around to face them. "N-now I remember! It was this way!" she said, beginning to walk in the opposite direction.

Briar and Skye exchanged glances, and Skye leaned to Briar. "This is the third dead end," she muttered.

Briar said nothing, straightening back out. After the scene Skye had caused, he had little desire to turn on Kierra in lost faith—but if this kept up much longer, it seemed like the three would never see the sun again.

Snivy looked up at Kierra, and she pursed her lips anxiously, looking around as she walked down the tunnel. "This stalactite looks familiar," she murmured, though it was said more so to convince herself than anything else.

She could feel Briar and Skye's stares boring into her back, and she feared that if she wasn't able to find the Moon Stone soon, they would leave her all alone in this labyrinth.

Snivy shook his head, seeing right through his trainer. Glancing around, he kept his eyes peeled, pausing when noticing a small beam of light seep through the cracks in a wall up ahead. Brightening up, he ran over to the wall excitedly.

"Sni!"

Kierra's eyes widened. "Snivy, wait!" she called, rushing after him.

Skye closed her eyes. "He must be trying to rid himself of her," she observed, and Briar shoved her before following after.

Kierra caught up to Snivy, frowning as she placed her hands on her hips. "You can't just run off like that," she scolded, but Snivy ignored her, lightly tapping the wall. Kierra blinked, shifting her attention. When seeing the light pour from the walls, she let out a noise of excitement.

"What is it?" Briar asked, Skye in tow. Kierra beamed as she turned to them, clasping her hands together.

"Follow me!" she said in a sing-song voice, bouncing down the tunnel. Skye and Briar exchanged glances—Briar was more wary while Skye still stayed skeptical. After a moment, they pushed after her, rounding the corner to see her waiting for them eagerly. Stepping into the light, Briar and Skye's mouths fell open.

"Ta-da!" Kierra chimed.

It was a crater, the sky visible as it lit up the cave floor white with moonlight. A large stone sat in the center of the crater, sparkling as if it had stars dotted on its surface. The stone was glossed with an air of captivation and mystery, radiating a strange energy that left a warm feeling inside the three.

Briar broke his gaze, a blur of pink catching his attention. Several Clefairy danced around the stone, bouncing as if weightless as they chanted happily. Skye took a step back, hesitant, and Kierra's eyes shone as she stared in wonder.

"This must be the Moon Stone," Briar gawked, in awe of the sight before him. Skye pulled out her Pokedex, pressing her lips into a hard line.

" _ Clefairy, the Fairy Pokemon. This impish Pokémon is friendly and peaceful. It is believed to live inside Mt. Moon, although very few have ever been seen by humans. _ "

"We're so lucky," Kierra piped up, a dreamy look in her eyes. "I can't believe we're able to see something so romantic!"

Skye went pale, slipping her Pokedex into her pocket. "We're done for," she said, taking another step back. "If we don't leave fast, then we'll—!"

Briar caught her arm, pulling her back in place. " _ You're _ the one who wanted a Moon Stone," he reminded her, pushing her toward it.

Skye yelped as she fumbled, taking a few messy steps forward before toppling over. She lifted her head to yell back to Briar, but her face went blank when seeing a Clefairy standing inches away from her. The Clefairy tilted its head, its chant halted by Skye's disruption.

Skye sucked in her breath, staying perfectly still. "…H-hello," she said, swallowing. She gave a nervous laugh, eyeing the Moon Stone in the center of the room. "Y-your spaceship is really cool."

Clefairy blinked in confusion when Skye glanced at the Moon Stone as she spoke, but then instantly lit up, bouncing back over to the stone. Skye felt her heart drop, and she quickly backed up, stumbling to her feet. She wondered what Clefairy was doing as it bent over, and Briar raised his brows when it picked up a small rock at the base of the stone.

Other Clefairy began to gather, curiously watching Skye as she whimpered pathetically in her attempt to escape.

"They like you," Briar called with a snicker, and Skye shot him a panicked glare.

"They're so cute!" Kierra gushed, taking out her notebook as she began to jot down some notes.

A Clefairy approached Snivy with a wave, and Snivy happily greeted it in return. Briar snickered when he noticed that Charmeleon's eyes were shining, a light blush dusting his cheeks as he watched the pink Pokemon.

"I thought Clefairy were supposed to be shy," Briar commented, smiling as he looked down at some Clefairy bouncing up and down.

"They must not see us as a threat," Kierra observed, taking notes. "Clefairy are very intuitive Pokemon—I'm sure they can sense that your friend has no ill intentions."

Briar gave a dry laugh. "I wouldn't be so sure," he joked, and Kierra giggled.

Skye stayed stiff, ignoring Briar's comment. Her arms were straight by her side as she watched the first Clefairy with focused and alert eyes. Her lips quivered, but she tried to keep her expression firm. She inhaled sharply when noticing the Clefairy making its way back to her.

"Clefairy," it said, holding out a small stone to her. Skye stared down, furrowing her brows as she looked over the stone.

"That's… a Moon Stone!" she exclaimed, and Clefairy nodded.

Briar walked over, raising his brows as he studied the dark stone in Clefairy's hands. "It must have thought all your spaceship talk was in reference to the Moon Stone."

Kierra looked up from her notes, tilting her head. "I thought Skye thought the Moon Stone  _ was _ a spaceship."

Skye growled, blushing. "Shut up," she said, and the Clefairy looked at her expectantly. Looking back down, she bit her lip in uncertainty, grasping and ungrasping her fist at her side.

"Go ahead and take it," Briar said, giving her a slight nudge. Skye shot him a look.

"I was  _ going  _ to," she defended, but Briar looked unconvinced. Taking a deep breath, she bent down, taking the Moon Stone with hesitance. Blinking when feeling it in her hand, she stood up straight, her mouth gaping open when seeing it shine under the moonlight.

"Wow," Skye marveled, breaking out into a grin as she held it against the sky. Pausing, she noticed the Clefairy, and she cleared her throat as her cheeks dusted red.

"…Thank you," she said with slight reluctance, and Clefairy lit up, bouncing in place. Skye couldn't help but let a small smile show, but quickly shook it off, closing her eyes as she spun on her heel. "All right—it's time to keep moving!"

Briar noticed Skye's legs shaking as she walked by him. Despite the Clefairy's kind gesture, she was still shaken up, clearly wanting to get away from their 'spaceship' as soon as possible. The Clefairy all exchanged confused glances as they watched Skye march away, nearly tripping in the process.

Briar glanced up at the night sky. "Yeah—we need to get out of here so we can set up camp." He smiled, looking back to the Clefairy. "Still, I'm glad we came—I can't wait to tell my Dad about this."

Skye waved him off. "Professor Oak doesn't have the time of day for you," she said, looking over her shoulder to him with a smirk. "He left, remember?"

Briar deadpanned, and Skye snickered. Kierra paused, immediately lifting her head up from her notes.

"Did you just say Professor Oak?" she asked quickly, catching Briar's attention. "As in, Professor  _ Gary _ Oak?"

Briar held up a finger. "Yeah—he's my Dad."

Kierra's mouth gaped open, dropping her notebook as she made a bee-line to Briar. Skye stumbled out of the way, and Briar leaned back, his eyes widening as she clasped her hands together with sparkling eyes.

"You mean you're the son of  _ the _ Professor Oak?!"

"I take it you know him," Skye said in annoyance, straightening out the bottom of her shirt.

"Of course I know him!" Kierra spat at her. She then put a hand to her cheek, letting out a dreamy sigh. "He's the whole reason I came to Kanto in the first place!"

Briar raised his brows in surprise. "You came to Kanto to see my Dad?"

"Uh-huh," Kierra affirmed, squirming in place. "He  _ is _ the leading researcher in Pokemon Paleontology, after all!" She closed her eyes proudly, placing a hand to her chest. "And  _ I'm _ a Junior Pokemon Researcher!"

Briar tilted his head and Skye scrunched her face. "Junior Pokemon Researcher?"

Kierra stuck up her nose with a smile. "That's right," she affirmed. "I'm studying under Professor Juniper so that I can become a full-fledged Pokemon Researcher myself one day!" She held up a finger. "I came all the way from the Unova region just so I could go to Pallet Town and write my very first Pokemon Report on Professor Oak's research!"

Skye stifled a laugh, and Kierra looked at her questioningly. Briar nudged her in the side, and she grinned, giving Briar a sly look. Briar looked at her with irritation before taking notice of Kierra's owlish stare. Letting out a cough, he rubbed the back of his neck before hesitating.

"Then you're tough outta luck," he began, and Kierra tilted her head. "You see, he's gonna be away in Johto for the next couple of weeks on a research expedition. He leaves first thing tomorrow morning."

Kierra went quiet, and Briar pursed his lips, swearing that he saw something inside her shatter to pieces. Skye watched in satisfaction, her arms crossed as she looked at her for an expected reaction. Her pupils dilating, Kierra's mouth suddenly fell open after processing Briar's words.

"— _ E-eh?! _ "

* * *

**_April 1st, 2034. Afternoon. Nuvema Town, Unova._ **

"A… what?"

"Junior Pokemon Researcher."

Kierra tilted her head, putting down the book she was reading as Professor Juniper approached her. Cheren and Bianca followed, standing behind her as she stood beside Kierra. Snivy looked up curiously, and Professor Juniper smiled at them.

"It's a new program," she elaborated. "It gives kids the opportunity to work alongside professional researchers and share knowledge." She held up a finger. "It's the perfect path for anyone interested in becoming part of the Pokemon research community."

Kierra lit up, instantly intrigued. "What would I have to do?"

Professor Juniper gave a knowing smile at her reaction. "It's simple—after picking a topic of study, you'll work under me as you carry out your research. Every few weeks, you send reports based on your findings that I'll grade and provide feedback for." She glanced to the book Kierra held. "This program will count towards your education, and will act as a stepping stone to becoming a full-fledged Pokemon Researcher one day."

Kierra's face brightened. "That's it?" She looked to Snivy. "I have to sign up right away, then!"

Snivy nodded happily. "Sniv!"

"I totally wish something like this existed back when I was a trainer," Bianca half-whined. "You're so lucky you get to be part of its test run!"

Cheren eyed his wife warily before looking to Kierra. "I can't think of anyone more well-suited."

Kierra beamed, excited at the idea of leading a new movement. "Where will the program be taught?" she asked eagerly.

Professor Juniper closed her eyes. "It's not something that can be taught in a classroom." She looked to Kierra. "For this program, you'll be going out into the field."

Kierra looked confused. "The field?"

Professor Juniper smiled at her. "You can't make any new discoveries locked up in a room all day." She gave her a wink. "The Pokemon world is full of mysteries—as researchers, it's our job to go out and solve them."

Kierra frowned slightly, unsure. "But I really like my school—I really like this lab. I couldn't imagine leaving it all." She slumped her shoulders a bit. "I don't know. I guess it's all kind of sudden…"

"What would you think about going to Kanto?"

Kierra perked up at the sudden comment, and Professor Juniper crossed her arms. "Professor Oak is the leading researcher in Pokemon Paleontology—if you join this program, you'd have access to being able to work with him and see his research first-hand."

Kierra's eyes widened, and Bianca and Cheren exchanged knowing glances. Professor Juniper looked back at them with a wink. Snivy looked up at Kierra, tapping her on the thigh expectantly. Kierra snapped her head down, inhaling before quickly looking back to the others.

"I-I mean, meeting Professor Oak has been, like, my  _ total dream _ and everything, but I can't just leave home so suddenly!" She pursed her lips, her face heating up. "I have my school, my family, the lab—I can't just leave it all to meet—" She took a pause, gulping as she let out a conflicted whine. "—my  _ idol _ ."

Bianca put a hand to her mouth, giggling, and Cheren took a step forward. "If you don't like being away from home, you can come back whenever you'd like." He smiled encouragingly. "There's no harm in giving it a try, right? "

"Yeah!" Bianca piped up. "Besides, Kanto has  _ such _ yummy food!"

"Food is your argument?" Cheren asked dryly.

Bianca pouted. "It's a bonus, isn't it?"

"There's a lot to be gained from taking a trip," Professor Juniper spoke up, and Kierra gripped the bottom of her skirt. "You have the opportunity to conduct your own independent research." Juniper smiled, tilting her head. "So, how about it?"

Kierra pressed her lips together in uncertainty, fidgeting her hands as she averted her gaze to the ground in thought. All of this was happening so fast—she had never even batted an eye at leaving home before. When all of her classmates turned ten and went on their Pokemon journeys, she made the decision to stay home and learn. She never thought such an opportunity would be presented to her—and with Professor Juniper as her guide, no less. She would even get the chance to meet Gary Oak, her biggest role model and inspiration. But even still, the thought of leaving home—of leaving everything she knew—scared her.

She felt a tap on her hand, and she looked over to see Snivy looking up at her with firm eyes.

Kierra blinked. "Snivy…?"

Snivy furrowed his brows, waving his hand. "Snivy sniv!"

Kierra stared at him, the fire in his eyes ignited something inside of her. Snivy had always sat by her side, listening as Kierra spoke of her dream. Her dream felt like something far away and distant, as if it was something out of her reach. Someday—that's what she would always say. Someday she would grasp that dream in her hand. Suddenly, everything was right in front of her—all she had to do was reach forward.

Someday was toady.

Kierra stood up abruptly, surprising her parents. Snivy looked up at her with a satisfied smile, taking a step beside her. Turning to Professor Juniper, she clenched her fists at her sides as she flashed her a bright smile.

"All right—sign me up!"

* * *

**_April 13th, 2034. Night. Mt. Moon, Kanto._ **

"She's been like that for an hour," Skye mumbled, glancing back as Kierra trailed behind the two. She walked with a slump, moping as Snivy looked up at her worriedly.

Briar smiled a little, scratching the bridge of his nose. "She  _ did _ fly all the way from Unova," he said. "It must be pretty hard news…"

After Kierra's situation had been explained, Briar offered for her to follow them out of the cave. It was clear to them that Kierra's sense of direction was lacking—not only had she gotten them lost in Mt. Moon, but she apparently had been walking in the wrong direction to Pallet Town for days.

She had no food or knowledge of the Kanto region, so Briar had invited her to camp out with them for the night, telling her that they would take her to the nearest Pokemon Center in the morning. She agreed sadly, not speaking since the three of them had set off. Briar frowned, glancing back at her from the corner of his eye.

"I wonder what she'll do now?" he asked, concern painted on his face.

Skye craned a brow. "It's not like Professor Oak is going to be gone forever—she'll just have to wait it out."

"Still, I feel bad," Briar said sympathetically, glancing to the ground. "I mean, he  _ is _ my Dad—I feel like I should do something."

"You said we would take her to the Pokemon Center," Skye dismissed. "She can call back home and figure it out from there. There's nothing else we can do about it."

"I guess you're right," Briar conceded, letting out a sigh.

Snivy stopped, feeling a rumble below his feet. His face falling, he quickly ran to Kierra, pulling on her leg. She looked down at him, peeking from beneath her bangs.

"What is it, Snivy?" she asked sadly, but Snivy jumped up in down in a panic, pointing towards the darkness.

Briar looked over, raising a brow. "What's going on?"

Charmeleon suddenly perked up, quickly turning his head towards the darkness and letting out a firm, "Char!"

Pausing, Briar heard a soft echo of clutter, and he inhaled sharply as he took a step back. "T-there's something coming!"

Skye blinked, turning her head over, her eyes widening when seeing an Onix digging straight towards them.

Gasping, the three fumbled, quickly dashing through the tunnel in a frenzy as the Onix let out a ferocious roar.

"W-we must have invaded its home!" Briar said, panting as he ran.

Kierra whined, staggering behind. "W-we didn't mean to disturb you, Mr. Onix!"

Skye was ahead of the group, much faster as she looked around for any sort of opening. Something caught her eye, and she made a sharp turn. "Quick! In here!"

The other two dashed over, Briar yanking Kierra into the small crater in the wall before the Onix could hit her. The Onix sped by, letting out another roar as it disappeared back into the darkness. Letting out the breath she had been holding, Skye peeked out to make sure it was clear, looking back to the others with a thumbs-up.

"All clear!"

Briar bent over to put his hands on his knees. "That was too close," he groaned, and Kierra let out a breath of relief as she put her hand on the crater wall—yelping as she tumbled over.

Briar quickly looked back. "K-Kierra!" He ran over, Kierra on the ground. She whimpered, the crater wall collapsing at her touch.

"Just my luck," she whined, brushing off the dirt from her skirt. Briar gave her a sympathetic smile and offered her a hand. She went to take it, but paused, noticing something beside her. Ignoring Briar, she suddenly got on her hands and knees, taking out a small brush from her bag and dusting off the floor with care.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Skye asked, craning an eyebrow.

Kierra didn't say anything, her eyes widening as she dropped her brush. Gently picking up a stone, she looked it over closely, her eyes shining in awed wonder.

Briar tilted his head, trying to get a good look at the oddly shaped rock. "What is it?"

Kierra lit up, her face dusting pink as she spun around. "Don't you know what this is?"

"A rock," Skye answered flatly, impatient to get out of the crater.

Kierra spun towards Snivy, showing it to him. " _ You _ know what this is, don't you, Snivy?"

Snivy blinked, walking over to get a closer look. His eyes studied the spiral shape that was imprinted into the rock, remembering the picture in the book from the day he and Kierra had first met. Gasping, he looked up to his trainer in alarm.

"Sni!"

Kierra grinned from ear to ear and squealed inside her throat, standing up as she hugged it to her chest.

"I just found a  _ Helix Fossil! _ "

Briar's eyes widened. "T-that's amazing!"

Skye looked confused. "A Helix Fossil?"

Kierra beamed at her. "They're fossils of the ancient Pokemon, Omanyte!"

Skye looked perplexed, slipping her Pokedex from her pocket and opening it up.

" _ Omanyte, the Spiral Pokemon. Omanyte is one of the ancient and long-since-extinct Pokemon that have been regenerated from fossils by people. If attacked by an enemy, it withdraws itself inside its hard shell. _ "

Skye shot her brows up in surprise, looking back to the fossil. "Whoa, can these fossils really be revived?"

Briar nodded. "In Kanto, there's a Pokemon laboratory on Cinnabar Island that specializes in fossil revival. My Dad goes there all the time for his research."

Skye appeared impressed and Briar glanced to the ceiling thoughtfully. After a moment, he smiled, looking to Kierra. "Hey—you were supposed to write your first Pokemon Report on my Dad's findings, right?"

Kierra blinked, drawing her attention away from the fossil. "Yeah, that's right."

Briar's smile winded and he held up a finger. "Well, what if you wrote that report on this Helix Fossil instead?" he suggested, taking Kierra by surprise. "You could even go to Cinnabar Island to have it restored. I'm sure that'd make for a great report." He offered her a shrug. "And that way, your trip to the Kanto region wouldn't be a complete loss."

Kierra appeared delighted by the suggestion, looking down to her fossil in excitement. "I'd totally love to have my own ancient Pokemon," she gushed, giddy at the thought. "And writing my report on that would be so fun!" She then frowned. "…But I have no idea how to get to Cinnabar Island." She shifted. "I've never been on my own like this before."

Briar blinked, pondering before something clicked in his head. He glanced to Skye with a smile, and she gave him an odd look, not understanding. Looking back to Kierra, he held up a finger. "Could you give us one second?" he asked, grabbing Skye's hand and pulling her aside.

Skye let out a squeak in surprise as Briar dragged her off. Kierra reeled back slightly, watching them go. Charmeleon kept a close eye on his trainer.

Skye scowled and quickly pulled her hand away from him. "Hey!" she barked. "What gives?"

Briar decided to cut directly to the chase. "What if we had Kierra tag along with us?"

Skye deadpanned and Briar pursed his lips in anticipation, bracing for the answer that he knew would come.

" _ No _ ."

"But—!"

"No," Skye repeated firmly, crossing her arms. "She can get to wherever she has to go just fine on her own. We shouldn't have to babysit her when we have our own stuff to focus on."

"We can't just leave her," he retorted. "She doesn't know a thing about Kanto. I mean, she got lost trying to get to Pallet Town from Viridian." Skye didn't falter, but Briar pressed on. "It would be just until we get to Cinnabar."

" _ Just _ until we get to Cinnabar," Skye repeated flatly. "Are you crazy? That could take  _ months _ , Briar! I'm not sticking with kooky alien rock girl for that long."

Briar closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Then you don't have to," he said firmly, and Skye looked at him in confusion. He put a fist to his chest, continuing with, "I'll take Kierra to Cinnabar myself, and you can get your gym badges alone."

Skye faltered and Briar stood firm. "Y-you can't do that!" she snapped. "We're a team!"

Briar closed his eyes, turning his head away stubbornly. "Then I'm playing for another team now. A friendlier one."

Skye's brow twitched in irritation, and her hands curled into fists by her sides. Briar wasn't going to let this go—that was for sure. She knew that if Briar wanted to help this girl, then he wouldn't hesitate to do so. It had always been like him to want to help those in need.

Skye blamed those damn superhero TV shows for this one.

Briar opened an eye, watching as Skye's face went red, her lips pressed in a hard line. He waited expectantly before she eventually spat, " _ Fine _ . But  _ you're  _ her babysitter, not me."

Briar cracked a grin and flicked her nose. "I knew you had a heart," he teased, and Skye angrily swatted his hand away.

Kierra watched on as Briar and Skye approached her again. Briar had a bounce in his step as Skye trudged behind him begrudgingly.

"How would you like to tag along with us?" Briar asked suddenly with a smile, thumbing to Skye. "Skye here has to get a badge in Cinnabar, so it's on our way." Kierra blinked at the offer, and Briar continued, "Cinnabar isn't exactly close, so it's gonna take us a while to get there." He smiled. "But it might be more fun than being alone."

Skye still didn't approve, looking away stubbornly as she crossed her arms. Briar paid her no mind though, his attention on Kierra as he awaited her response.

Kierra flicked her gaze between the two, mulling over Briar's offer. Her trip to Kanto certainly wasn't going as expected. She had always been someone who stuck to schedules. Everything in her life had a place, neatly tucked away onto a shelf in organized fashion—but everything now had broken into chaos.

She looked down to the fossil in her hands, her fingers curling around it. She knew that right now it was only a rock, still and cold— a piece of the past frozen in time. But Kierra knew better. The DNA of this Pokemon seemed to pulse in her hands as if it were alive. She was reminded of that day so many years ago, standing in the empty room that seemed to be speaking to her—a single tile laying on the ground in waiting.

It was just like now.

Most Pokemon Paleontologists spent ages attempting to find even a single fossil—and yet she just happened to stumble across one, as if it had been waiting for her to find it. The mysteries that rested on the inside of this fossil were just waiting for her to solve them. Maybe this was why she was meant to come to Kanto.

She looked back to Briar who stared at her with welcoming eyes. Even Skye seemed to be gazing at her with interest. Maybe she wasn't meant to do this alone. Maybe they were meant to be a part of this all, too.

Snivy smiled up at her with encouraging eyes. Looking down at him, she could tell that he was ready to take the next step forward. There were so many mysteries for them to solve together, and the open door was right before them.

Taking a breath, Kierra looked back to Briar and Skye, smiling brightly.

"All right!" she said, clenching her fists. "Let's go together!"

* * *

**_April 3rd, 2034. Afternoon. Striaton City, Unova._ **

"Do you have everything? Do you want me to double check?"

Kierra stood on a dock with her parents and Professor Juniper, a plane floating beside it as people stepped inside. The sky was clear, the water shining white under the spring sun. Turning to her father, Kierra puffed out her cheeks.

"Dad, I'm fine!"

Cheren looked unconvinced, knowing how his daughter could be. "All right—remember to call as soon as you land."

Kierra waved him off. "I will, I will!" she dismissed, but Cheren was skeptical. "Come on, Dad—I'm not a little kid!"

Cheren was about to tell her that her age wasn't the issue, but Bianca perked up as she put a hand to her cheek.

"You're going to have so much fun," she gushed. She then frowned, looking worried. "But it'll be hard not having you at the lab anymore…"

Kierra closed her eyes. "I'm not going to be gone  _ that _ long," she assured, and she gripped the straps of her backpack. "I'll only be gone a couple of weeks!"

Cheren and Bianca exchanged glances, a look in their eyes that Kierra took no notice of. Professor Juniper watched on with a smile, taking a beat of silence before opening her mouth to speak. A shake from her purse stopped her as a white light emerged from the bag.

"Snivy!"

Kierra blinked, looking down at Snivy as she raised her brows in surprise. "Snivy?"

Snivy became firm, putting a hand to his waist as he waved the other in the air. "Snivy! Sniv snivy!"

Professor Juniper craned an eyebrow in amusement, taking a step forward. "I think Snivy wants to go with you."

Kierra looked taken back. "What? Really?" She frowned. "But you're a lab Pokemon—if you leave, you'll miss the new trainers coming by!"

Professor Juniper gave a light laugh. "I think Snivy has already chosen his trainer, Kierra."

Kierra paused, her eyes widening. Processing, she quickly looked between Snivy and Professor Juniper, pointing to herself in a frenzy. "—Me?!"

Snivy let out a happy, "Sniv!" Professor Juniper slipped a Poke Ball from her purse, handing it to Kierra.

"This is Snivy's Poke Ball." She gave her a wink. "Take good care of him for me."

Kierra stared at the Poke Ball, dumbfounded. Cheren put a hand on her shoulder, snapping her from her thoughts, and she looked up at him. He gave her an encouraging smile, nodding his head. Kierra blinked a few times before looking to Snivy.

He stared up at her with a confident smile, appearing to be eager to go. Kierra remembered all of the days the two had spent together up until now. Snivy was always the one who would sit beside her in the library, listening as she spoke to him of the mysteries the world held. The mysteries that the two would solve together.

A smile crept its way onto Kierra face, and she looked to Professor Juniper. "I will!" she said, taking the Poke Ball into her hands. Snivy lit up, crawling up onto Kierra's shoulder. She giggled, shifting her weight as she looked to him happily. "I suppose that if I want to learn everything I can about Pokemon, then I'm going to need a Pokemon as my assistant!" she chimed, and Snivy's face brightened. "Please bear with me!"

Snivy beamed. "Snivy!"

Juniper smiled, putting her hands to her hips. "Let me know when you get to Pallet Town," she said, getting Kierra's attention. "I'll send you everything you need to write your first Pokemon Report when you do."

Kierra nodded. "Okay!" She squealed in excitement. "I can't wait to meet Professor Oak for real!"

A noise sounded, and Kierra blinked, looking around. Cheren looked over, becoming distressed.

"Kierra—your plane is about to take off!"

Kierra's face fell, quickly spinning on her heel. "E-eh?!" Beginning to panic, she turned to the others, bouncing in place. "Okay, I'll be off! Love you, bye!" she said hurriedly, rushing over to the plane. Cheren watched her carefully as she stepped on board, sighing as the door closed after her.

"She's not going to remember to call."

Bianca squirmed, letting out a whine. "I didn't even get to hug her goodbye!"

Professor Juniper chuckled. "Don't worry—she'll be back before you know it."

"No, she won't."

Professor Juniper blinked, looking back to Cheren in confusion. He merely glanced at Bianca, who glanced at him in return with a knowing smile. Looking to the ocean, Cheren watched as the plane began to take off. Bianca held his hand, and he squeezed it, his eyes bright as he looked to the sky.

* * *

**_April 3rd, 2034. Night. Over Viridian City, Kanto._ **

Kierra looked out the plane window, Snivy curled up as he slept in her lap. She pet him gently, her eyes watching the sky as the stars sparkled. The skyline began to appear black on the horizon, and Kierra lit up, pressing her face to the window in excited awe.

"That's Viridian City," Kierra whispered to herself, her heart fluttering. Snivy twitched in his sleep, and Kierra put a hand on his head. She smiled, staring at the distant city lights. "…I'm almost there."

Someday was today.

* * *

… _ And the journey continues! _


	8. Rocky Relations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Skye and the gang continue on route to Cerulean City for Skye's next Gym battle and Briar's next Pokemon Contest, tension begins to rise between Skye and the group's newest companion, Kierra. Can they sort out their differences? Or will the path ahead continue to be rocky for this unlikely trio?

**_April 14 th, 2034. Evening. Route 4, Kanto._ **

“All right, let’s stop here for today.”

Kierra collapsed to her knees with a loud whine. “I didn’t think we’d ever get to rest again!”

Snivy sighed, offering his trainer a sympathetic pat on the back.

Skye glanced over, unamused as she slid her backpack off of her shoulder. “We stopped to take a break an hour ago.”

“But it feels like it’s been a hundred hours!”

After safely emerging from Mt. Moon, the three had been so exhausted that they crashed with ease. When morning came, Briar had suggested they make a pit stop in Carnelian Town, a five hour walk from their campground. The next closest Pokemon Center was in the town, and it would be a good place to recuperate before moving on to Cerulean.

But the hot sun beating down on them, along with the rocky terrain around the mountain, proved difficult for travel. Kierra had been especially affected, her moans and whines not going unheard by the other two. And, much to Skye’s chagrin, Briar would always relent to them.

At this rate, it felt like they would never reach Carnelian.

“Jeeze, and we even stopped to take _extra_ breaks for you,” Skye commented. “You know, you can’t keep slowing us down like this. We coulda already made it to Carnelian Town by now.”

Kierra puffed her cheeks in retaliation, but Briar stepped in. “She’s not used to traveling,” he defended. “Give her time to adjust.”

Skye sighed. “Whatever,” she murmured, beginning to unpack her bag. “Let’s just get started on camp, then.”

Kierra grimaced, not particularly keen on the idea of spending another night on the rocky ground. “Camping _again_? Isn’t there a rest stop or something nearby?”

“There _would_ be if we were in Carnelian,” Skye mumbled, already unrolling her sleeping bag.

Briar shot Skye a disapproving glance, but she ignored him and continued setting up her spot for the night. He sighed and looked to Kierra with a tired smile. “Unfortunately, there isn’t anything like that around here, so camping will just have to do until we can reach a Pokemon Center.”

Kierra’s face fell, but before she got the chance to complain, Briar looked over to Skye, saying, “Skye, it’s your turn to find us firewood. Sound good?”

Skye glanced over from fluffing her pillow. Deciding it best to let the ordeal go for now and instead focus on helping Briar, she let out a breath and rose to her feet. “Yeah,” she replied, offering a playful salute. “Leave it to me!”

Briar pointed to himself. “I’ll get started on dinner.” He looked to Kierra with a smile. “And Kierra, why don’t you go look for water?”

Kierra reeled back. “W-what?” she stammered, eyeing the black woods that stood ominously along the trail. She swallowed. “Just me…?”

“You have Snivy, don’t you? You won’t be alone,” Briar reminded. “Besides, you can use its vines to dig into the earth to locate a water source.”

Skye tapped her fist into her palm. “Oh! That’s a great idea!”

Briar grinned at her. “Right? I learned that trick from a friend in the Hoenn region.”

Kierra pursed her lips. “I guess so…” she hesitated, shifting her feet as Snivy looked up at her curiously. “But…”

Skye and Briar looked at her expectantly. Skye cocked a brow, looking Kierra up and down until she noticed the slightest tremble in her legs. She sighed and shook her head. “It’s hopeless,” she commented with a shrug. “Look at her—she’s totally freaked out.”

Kierra straightened herself out as her cheeks bloomed pink. “I am not!”

Skye rolled her eyes. “Sure,” she scoffed, picking up her bag and tossing it over her shoulder. “Listen, I’ll take care of the firewood and the water. Why don’t you just hang back and help Briar with dinner?”

Briar frowned. “Maybe Skye’s right,” he agreed. “I mean, you said you were pretty tired anyways. I wouldn’t want you to push yourself too much since you still aren’t used to this sort of thing.”

Kierra looked between the two, fisting her hands in her lap and then averting her gaze to the ground. Guilt was weighing down on her. These two had been kind enough to allow her to travel alongside them—the last thing she wanted to do was be a burden.

She lifted her head. “I’ll go,” she said with a firm expression.

Briar was taken aback. “You don’t have to,” he assured. “Seriously, I could use some help with dinner anyways.” He thumbed to Skye, who seemed less than impressed with the scene that was unfolding. “And Skye’s got enough energy in her to do a little extra physical labor for us both. It’s no big deal.”

Kierra stood up, dusting off her skirt as she did so. “No, no, I want to,” she countered. “If I’m going to be part of this group, I want to be able to pull my own weight.”

Briar hesitated, but seeing the sincerity in her eyes made him reconsider. “…Okay,” he resigned. He pulled out a canteen from his bag and handed it to her. “But if you run into any trouble, don’t hesitate to come back.”

Kierra nodded, took the canteen, and slung it over her shoulder. “Right!” she affirmed, turning on her heel and marching toward the woods. “Let’s go, Snivy!”

“Sni!” Snivy chirped, trotting after Kierra as she disappeared into the treeline.

Briar watched them until they faded out of sight. Even when Kierra was long gone, Briar could feel Skye’s eyes on him. A part of him wondered if he had just sent the poor girl to her death.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine...” he finally said, though he wasn’t sure if he was reassuring himself or Skye.

Skye, seemingly unaffected, simply adjusted the straps on her backpack. “Yeah, well—let’s just hope she remembers her way back to camp.”

Despite her feigned indifference, the slight change in Skye’s tone didn’t go unnoticed by Briar. His expression turned cheeky. “You worried?”

“ _No_ ,” she retorted, beginning to make her own walk toward the woods, “I just don’t wanna be considered a culprit in a missing persons case, is all.”

Definitely worried, Briar thought.

Cupping his hands over his mouth, Briar called to her, “You’re gonna have to learn to accept this sooner or later, you know!”

Skye said nothing in response, only offering him a wave of her hand.

* * *

Skye lifted a stick from off of the ground, examining it closely. After confirming it wasn’t damp, she added it to her growing collection. Just a little more and she’d have enough to get a hearty fire going.

If the fire wasn’t big enough, Kierra would probably complain about the cold, as if she had no idea temperatures dropped when the sun went down. And of course Kierra hadn’t packed an extra blanket, so Skye would have to give her one of hers just to get her to shut up.

“Squirt!”

“Hm?” Skye’s thoughts were broken. Squirtle was looking up at her with a bright smile, a perfectly red apple between his hands. Skye’s face lit up as she took the fruit he offered to her. “Hey, an apple! Nice find!”

Squirtle put his hands on his hips and turned his chin up in pride. “Squirtle!”

Skye looked around to find the apple’s source. She grinned when spotting the nearby and absolutely inviting apple tree. “I’ll go get us some more,” she said, placing the firewood and her backpack on the ground. “You guard the firewood.”

Skye approached the tree, grabbing onto its bark and hoisting herself up. After making it a little ways up, she spotted a branch with a handful of ripe apples dangling off of it. She inched herself forward and plucked a few off.

“Hey Squirtle!” she called, looking down at her partner. “Catch!”

Squirtle blinked, stumbling a bit before catching the apple in his arms. He raised the apple victoriously. “Squirtle!”

Skye gave her Pokemon a thumbs up. “Good job!” She lifted up another two apples. “Think you can catch these, too?”

She tossed a couple of more apples down to Squirtle, who managed to catch each of them successfully. But just as she was about to throw the final one, something caught her eye. Furrowing her brows, she turned her attention toward the nearby stream.

In the distance, Skye could make out Kierra leaning over the stream, attempting to fill her canteen with water. She was leaning in just a little too far, struggling to keep her balance. Snivy rushed to her side and wrapped his vines around her as she nearly toppled into the water.

Of course.

Skye hissed between her teeth at the sight. “Better go help her…” She jumped down from the branch, brushing herself off as she tossed the final apple into her bag. “C’mon Squirtle,” she said, motioning for her Pokemon to follow as she slipped her backpack onto her shoulders. Squirtle gathered the firewood and chased after her.

As she approached, Skye could tell that Snivy was really struggling to keep a hold on Kierra with his Vine Whip the further his trainer reached into the river. Said trainer was so focused on the water that she didn’t even notice Skye walking up behind her.

What if Skye had been a wild Pokemon? Then what? Seriously, this girl...

“You know, if you reach any further you’ll wind up taking a bath in there.”

Kierra squeaked in surprise, almost falling forward. Snivy gasped, tugging harder and pulling her onto the safety of the grass. She turned her head to see Skye and Squirtle. “O-oh! Skye!” For a second, Kierra thought she was done for. She breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s just you…”

“Sorry,” Skye apologized, holding up a hand. “Didn’t mean to scare ya.” Though she couldn’t deny there was a little satisfaction in it.

“I wasn’t scared!” Kierra protested. “You just surprised me, is all.”

“Right,” Skye responded, unconvinced. Her gaze flicked to Squirtle and Snivy, who were starting to make polite conversation. “Hey, why don’t you guys go and collect some more firewood?” she asked, nodding her head at Kierra. “I’ve got things covered here.”

Squirtle and Snivy exchanged looks before Squirtle put down the already collected wood and motioned for Snivy to follow him into the trees.

That was when Skye noticed the open canteen Kierra held between her hands. “Hey, hey,” she snapped, snatching the canteen from her, “are you trying to get us all sick or something?”

Kierra raised a brow. “What are you talking about?”

“The water!” Skye exclaimed, holding up the canteen. “You can’t just put dirty river water in the canteen like that. All the bacteria and stuff is gonna make us sick. Use your water purifier.”

Kierra shrunk back. “My… what?”

Skye squinted at her disbelievingly. “And here I thought you were supposed to be some sort of super genius or something.”

“I _am_!”

Skye faltered, not expecting Kierra to actually _agree_. With a murmur, she added, “Modest, too.”

“Hm?”

Skye held up her hands. “Nothing.” She shrugged her backpack off of her shoulders and unzipped it. “Anyways,” she started, digging her hand inside and pulling out a small, cylindrical object, “ _this_ is a water purifier.”

She lifted the canteen and screwed the purifier onto the top. “You just screw it on top of the canteen and _presto_ —clean water!” She bent down, dipping the canteen into the river. Water began to slowly enter through the filter’s opening. “It takes a little longer to fill, but at least we won’t be puking.”

“Oh,” Kierra said slowly, not liking the feeling of not knowing something, “I guess I didn’t realize these types of things existed.”

“C’mon, this is survival 101,” Skye scoffed, pulling the canteen out of the river and slipping it into her backpack. “Didn’t you learn about it in your survival courses?”

Kierra shook her head. “I never took a course like that.” She had never seen the point. As a future researcher, she always envisioned herself in libraries full of books, not the great outdoors.

Skye looked to Kierra ludicrously. “What? But they’re something every kid takes.”

“Not me.” Kierra closed her eyes and held up a finger. “I only took classes on important things—like Pokemon evolution and anatomy.” She waved a hand dismissively. “I didn’t have time for stuff like that.”

“Survival _is_ important,” Skye corrected. “I mean, I hated school, but even I made sure to pay attention in those classes.” She crossed her arms. “In fact, one time we were talking about what to do if you got stuck in a Dugtrio cavern and I—”

Kierra paused. “Wait, what did you just say?”

“That I paid attention in my survival courses,” Skye repeated, not appreciating being interrupted. “You know, to keep me from getting killed by drinking dirty water.”

“No, no, before that,” Kierra pressed, leaning in toward Skye. “Did you say you _hated school_?”

Skye leaned back. Kierra had no concept of personal space. “Uh… yes?”

That was apparently the worst thing Skye could have said. “What!?” Kierra gasped. “But school is amazing!” Her blue eyes sparkled dreamily. “There’s so much to learn! So many books to read! How can you even hate such a thing?”

“Because it’s boring,” Skye said flatly. “I’d rather be out on my own, learning stuff firsthand through experience. Some things you can’t learn from a stupid book.”

Kierra puffed her cheeks. “Well, _I_ think that’s silly. Books aren’t stupid! They’re like fountains of endless knowledge! There’s so much you can learn from them!”

“ _Pass_ ,” Skye rejected, holding up a hand. “Reading gives me headaches.”

“Maybe you just haven’t tried reading enough!”

“Trust me, that’s not it.”

Kierra crossed her arms, not having it. “I just don’t get how someone can hate learning so much!”

“It’s not like I hate learning,” Skye corrected. She was already tired of this conversation. She was also hungry. “I just hate school and books and stuff.”

“But those are the best _tools_ for learning!”

Skye could feel the time bomb inside of her starting to tick. She barely knew this girl, and yet Kierra was pushing just about every button she had. “Okay, well if your school and books are so great, then how come you don’t even know basic survival skills?”

“I thought you said _you_ learned about those in school,” Kierra shot back, not missing a beat.

The time bomb began to tick more rapidly, and Skye did everything in her power to keep herself from blowing. She pursed her lips into a hard line, finally spitting, “Whatever.” She might have grumbled something else under her breath, but Kierra didn’t catch it.

It was then a rustling noise cut the tension like a knife. Skye quickly looked down to see something moving inside of her backpack. A thick, yellow tail poked out of the open hole.

Skye fumbled to pounce on the little thief. “Hey! Get out of there!”

Her backpack rustled again, and this time a Sandshrew poked its head out. “Shrew?”

“It’s a Sandshrew!” Kierra gasped, clapping her hands together.

Skye stopped mid-pounce to dig into her back pocket and pull out her Pokedex. The screen came to life, a picture of the Pokemon appearing at its center. “ _Sandshrew, the Mouse Pokémon. Disliking water, it lives in deep burrows in arid areas. This Pokémon curls up to protect itself from its enemies._ ”

Skye looked from her Pokedex to the Sandshrew. “If it dislikes water so much, then what’s it doing here by the river?”

Sandshrew crawled its way out of the bag, and Kierra took notice of the apples that rolled out after it. She put a finger to her chin in thought. “I guess it smelled the food in your backpack?”

Skye’s eyes trailed to the apples on the ground. “Huh. Well, in that case…” She bent over, picked up one of the apples, and handed it to Sandshrew with a crooked smile. “Here. You could've just asked, ya know?”

Sandshrew blinked a few times before greedily snatching the apple away. “Sand!”

“You’re really just gonna hand it over like that?” Kierra gawked.

“Sure. Why not?” Skye watched a little fondly as the Sandshrew happily munched away at the fruit. “It’s hungry, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but you shouldn’t feed wild Pokemon,” Kierra informed, pointing a finger at the Sandshrew. “Sandshrew especially are known for being pack Pokemon. It might alert its friends, and then suddenly you’re swarmed by a whole bunch of them wanting food!” She pulled a notebook out of her bag and flipped through it. “Furthermore—”

The moment was ruined. “Enough, enough. I get it,” Skye groaned, looking back to the Sandshrew as it tossed away the apple core. “It’ll be fine. It’s just an apple. It’s not like I gave it a buffet.”

Kierra looked unconvinced.

“Squirt!”

Sandshrew perked its ears up at the sound of Skye’s Squirtle and Kierra’s Snivy approaching the riverbed. Clearly startled, it scampered off, disappearing into the bushes. Skye turned her attention back to her own Pokemon.

Squirtle and Snivy both carried a decent number of sticks in their arms, and Skye decided to take their return as an opportunity to break away from her conversation with Kierra.

“Just in time,” Skye said, giving Squirtle a pat on the head and shifting her gaze to Kierra, who was scribbling something or other in that dumb notebook of hers. Skye chose to ignore it. “C’mon. Let’s head back to camp.”

* * *

The heavy scent of cream and vegetables filled the air. Briar poured a serving of diced onions into the bubbling pot and gave the broth a slow stir. His eyes shifted to Skye, who was eagerly chopping away at a carrot beside him.

“You’d better be careful with that thing,” Briar warned, watching as Skye pushed the cubed carrots aside and rapidly began cutting another. He could feel his heart rate increase every time he saw the knife get dangerously close to her fingers.

“I’m always careful,” Skye assured, narrowly avoiding chopping off her own thumb for the third time that evening.

“Right.”

Kierra glanced up from the book she was reading. Snivy was off in the distance, working alongside Charmeleon, Squirtle, and a few of the other Pokemon to help set the dinner table. She looked back to Briar and Skye working on the stew over the fire. Suddenly, she felt a little guilty for sitting around.

She shut the book and rose to her feet. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“I think we’re all set here,” Briar assured, looking at Skye. “Once Skye is done with the vegetables, the stew will just need to finish cooking.”

Skye didn’t look up from her cutting board. “Yeah, so just go back to reading, or whatever.”

Kierre’s fists curled at her sides. “I wanna do my part! There has to be _something_ I can do to help.”

Briar hesitated, lulling his head from side to side. “Well…” he started slowly, “I guess the tents still need pitching…”

“I can do that!”

“Have you ever even pitched a tent before?” Skye scoffed, looking up from her carrots. “It’s not exactly simple.”

“No,” Kierra shrugged. “But it can’t be _that_ hard.”

“It can be if you don’t know what you’re doing,” Skye countered.

“Skye’s got a point,” Briar agreed tentatively. “If you’ve never pitched a tent before then maybe you should hang back and wait for us to finish dinner. We can teach you.”

“No, no, really!” Kierra waved her hands in front of her. “I can do it! If I get stuck I’ll look up instructions on my Xtransceiver!” She pulled the device out of her pocket, looking at them both with pleading eyes. “Please?”

Briar and Skye exchanged skeptical glances before Briar looked back to Kierra with a hesitant, “...All right.”

Skye gawked at her friend disbelievingly as Kierra’s face lit up. Briar continued with, “It’s supposed to rain tonight, so I moved the supplies under the treeline so we can stay dry.” He pointed to the treeline in the distance where Kierra could make out their bags and camping supplies laid out across the ground.

Kierra nodded. With a confident smile, she put a hand to her chest. “Perfect! I’ll have them up in no time!”

She spun on her heel and made a dash toward the supplies. Snivy seemed to take notice, hopping off of the table and frantically chasing after.

Skye sighed and returned to chopping her carrots. “You’re gonna regret this.”

Briar continued to stir the stew. “C’mon, Skye. We have to at least give her a chance.”

“Briar, she couldn’t even get us clean water,” Skye jeered, pointing the knife at him. “You really think she’s gonna know how to pitch a tent? This girl doesn’t know the first thing about living outdoors.”

Briar’s face twisted, carefully pushing the knife away. “She’s _learning_. You just need to be more patient with her.”

“Yeah, well,” Skye started, glancing bitterly in Kierra’s direction as she began to pitch the tents, “let’s see how patient you are with her when you’re sleeping out in the rain cause she wrecked your tent.”

“Knock it off,” Briar chided. “Why’re you being like this?”

“I’m not ‘ _being like_ ’ anything,” Skye defended. “I just don’t think we should have to babysit her, is all. She’s holding us up.” She lifted the cutting board, dumping the last of the diced carrots into the pot. “I say when we get to Carnelian we just drop her. Let her find her own way to Cinnabar.”

“We can’t just drop her, Skye.”

“Why not?”

Briar shook his head. “Look, how about you just focus on the celery next, all right?” Attempting to lighten the mood, he playfully gave Skye’s head a small shove. “Maybe getting some food in you will cure your grumpiness.”

Skye scowled, pushing his hand away and grabbing the first stick of celery out of the pile.

As Briar and Skye continued to make preparations to the stew, Kierra struggled with her own tent preparations.

“Okay, so… This goes here…” Kierra murmured to herself, attempting to attach one rod to another. “And this goes…”

But just as she snapped one piece into place, the tent shook, collapsing on top of her. Snivy gasped and lifted up the fabric that was now covering his trainer’s face.

Kierra whined loudly and threw her hands up. “That’s the fourth time! I could have sworn I had it!”

Snivy was already picking up the fallen tent pieces. Kierra slouched and hung her head. No matter what she tried, everything she did just seemed to get messed up. She’d never faced problems like this back in school. She was beginning to wonder if maybe Skye was right about taking those survival courses. She was useless without them.

Picking up one of the tent rods again, she frowned. “Maybe I should just give up…”

Snivy sat down beside her, putting a hand on her lap reassuringly. “Sni!”

Kierra looked down at her Pokemon, who was staring at her with firm eyes. Snivy wasn’t ready to call it quits just yet.

“...No!” Kierra said, slapping herself on the cheeks. “You’re right! I’ve got this!” She picked up the plastic rods once more, looking between them. “I just need to think of it like a puzzle, and all of these rods and stuff are the pieces, right?”

Snivy pepped up and jumped to his feet. “Vy!”

Kierra took a long moment to look between all of the different pieces. Then she looked at Snivy, laughing nervously and pulling out her Xtransciever. “And maybe let’s see what PokeTube has to say about tent pitching, too?”

Four PokeTube videos about tent pitching and many misplaced rods later, three brightly colored tents finally stood before them.

“I think we did it!” Kierra exulted, clapping her hands together.

Snivy placed his hands to his hips triumphantly. “Sni sni!”

“Come on, let’s go tell the others!” Kierra said excitedly, turning on her heel and running back to their main campsite. Snivy trailed closely behind.

“Guess who got the tents pitched?” Kierra sang as she approached.

Skye glanced over her shoulder. “How broken are they?”

Kierra’s cheeks flushed. “They’re not broken! They’re perfectly intact!”

“That’s great, Kierra. Thanks for the help,” Briar praised, picking a bowl up from off of the table and handing it to her. “And you’re just in time for dinner, too.”

Kierra happily accepted the bowl. All three helped themselves to servings of the stew and began to dig in. Squirtle and the other Pokemon ate their share of Pokemon food on the ground below.

The group made it through dinner without much issue. Skye and Kierra even managed to make (what Briar considered to be) halfway decent conversation with each other. But when Briar pointed out that the clouds were beginning to roll in, the trainers and their Pokemon quickly wrapped up their meals and began to pack everything away.

“All right, that should do it,” Briar said, folding the last corner of the table cloth. “Since it’s about to start raining anyways, why don’t we get settled in for the night?” He turned to Kierra. “Kierra, do you mind taking the pots to the tents while Skye and I get the Pokemon back into their Poke Balls?”

Kierra perked up. “Sure! No problem!”

Collecting the handful of pots sitting on the ground, Kierra made her way over to the spot where she had previously set up the tents. However, as she drew closer, her face turned white at the approaching sight.

“Oh no!” she gasped, rushing to the tents. She could now clearly tell that Skye’s tent had collapsed to the ground. She fell to her knees and began picking up the pieces. The rods were bent, and some of the fabric appeared to be torn. “Oh no…” she winced. “What do I do?”

She attempted to put the pieces back together and get the tent into a somewhat presentable state, but it was useless. The tent fell apart once more and Kierra bit her lip.

“What’s up?” Skye’s voice came from behind her, and Kierra felt her stomach fall. She turned around just in time to see the realization spreading across Skye’s face. “My tent! What did you do!?”

Briar, who was right behind Skye, braced himself for the inevitable fight.

Kierra watched helplessly as Skye got to her knees and picked up the pieces of her destroyed tent. “I-I didn’t do anything!” she defended. “It was already like this when I got here! I was only trying to put it back together again! It was fine before dinner!”

“The poles are all bent! It’s totally unusable now,” Skye complained, giving Kierra a malicious look. “This is what happens when you know nothing about being out on your own.”

“Hey! The other tents are fine, aren’t they?” Kierra argued. “Something must’ve happened while we were eating. It’s not _my_ fault!”

“Oh, yeah? Like _what_?”

“Like anything! The wind, maybe!”

“There _isn’t_ any wind!”

“Guys, chill out!” Briar interjected, stepping between them. “It’s just a tent.” He focused his attention onto Skye with a frown. “Skye, we can get you a new one when we reach Carnelian tomorrow.”

Skye tossed aside the broken parts with force. “Yeah, some help that’ll do while it’s raining _tonight_.”

Briar crossed his arms, looking between his companions and what used to be Skye’s tent. She was right, they couldn’t just expect her to sleep out in the rain. But there was no way they’d be able to get her tent back together, either.

That was when an idea popped into Briar’s head, and he almost bit his tongue to shut himself up before actually saying it out loud. “Why don’t you share Kierra’s tent?”

“What!?” both Kierra and Skye spat.

Briar reeled back. “My tent is too small, and sleeping under the trees won’t do you much good,” he tried to reason as Skye turned her head away stubbornly. “What other option do you have?”

“I’d rather soak.”

Briar’s eye twitched in irritation before he let out a breath and held his hands up in defeat. “Fine,” he conceded, making his way to his own tent. “Let’s see how long you’ll last sleeping out in the rain, then. I’m not risking getting wet out here, so figure it out yourself.”

An awkward silence fell between Skye and Kierra as Briar zipped himself up in his tent for the night. Skye was refusing to meet Kierra’s gaze and Kierra huffed in annoyance.

“I like having my space anyways,” Kierra declared, crawling into her own tent and zipping it shut aggressively.

“Whatever,” Skye grumbled, pulling her sleeping bag out from the remainder of her tent. “Who needs a stupid tent? I’ll be fine right here.”

Just as she said that, Skye could feel the first drop of water land on her nose. She shook it off, dragging her sleeping bag further into the trees in hopes of staying at least somewhat dry. Her efforts proved to be useless, however, as the rain began coming down far quicker than she anticipated. It only took minutes for her to be soaked from head to toe, the trees doing little to keep her dry.

Before long, Skye knew she didn’t have much choice in the matter. If she didn’t want to catch a cold she had to get out of the rain, and if she wanted to get out of the rain…

Skye groaned, collecting her sleeping bag and dragging it back over to Kierra’s tent. She could see a light dimly shining through the fabric. For a moment, Skye felt the urge to turn on her heel and retreat back into the trees, but the cold rain pounding against her back forced her to suck in her pride.

Kierra jumped in alarm at the sound of her tent being unzipped, and readied herself with her book as a weapon. She breathed a sigh of relief when realizing the intruder wasn’t a murderer or kidnapper, but a dripping wet Skye Ketchum.

Skye’s lips were pressed in a hard line, and after a moment she finally admitted, “It might be raining a little harder than I expected…”

“You’re drenched!”

“Astute observation,” Skye remarked, looking anywhere but Kierra. “So… can I…” she spoke as if her teeth were being pulled, “crash here?”

Kierra slowly lowered her book. She turned her head away, as if in deep thought on the matter. “...Maybe,” she teased, eyeing Skye with a sly smile. “What’s the magic word?”

Skye tensed. The rain was starting to sound pretty good right about now. “...Please?”

Kierra snickered. “Then, I guess so,” she said, scooting over to make room. Then she paused, scrunching her face and digging through her stuff. “But…” she pulled out a towel, tossing it in Skye’s direction, “towel up first. I don’t want you getting my stuff all wet.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Skye drawled, catching the towel. “Thanks.”

A silence fell between them as Skye began to dry her hair with Kierra’s towel. Kierra picked her book back up and opened to the page where she left off. As Skye finished drying herself off and began to get comfortable, Kierra glanced over, a frown tugging at the corners of her mouth.

“...Hey, uh…” she started, shifting her sleeping bag. “About your tent…”

“The one that you destroyed?”

Any guilt that Kierra felt vanished as her face flushed with anger. “I told you! I didn’t destroy it!”

Skye turned onto her side away from Kierra. “Sure you didn’t.”

Kierra puffed her cheeks. “...Forget it! I’m going to sleep!” she snapped, rolling onto her side as well, flicking the light off. “Good _night_.”

* * *

**_April 15 th, 2034. Morning. Route 4, Kanto._ **

Neither Skye nor Kierra had slept well that night. Over breakfast the next morning, Skye complained that Kierra had been sprawling herself out all over the place, leaving little room for her in the tent. Kierra, on the other hand, claimed that Skye’s snoring had been so loud that she needed to place a pillow over her ears to drown it out.

Briar had broken up the argument before it could turn ugly, insisting that they should all just finish off their breakfast so they could make their way to Carnelian. Fortunately, Skye and Kierra spent the remainder of the morning ignoring each other while they packed up camp and continued their trek down Route 4.

The storm from the night before had left the foliage that lined Route 4 coated in specs of dew. Squirtle, who seemed to be enjoying the slight dampness that still hung in the air, bounced along in front of Skye and the others.

He came to a sudden stop when noticing the split in the road. Unsure of where to go, he looked back at the group of trainers.

Briar raised a brow. “It looks like the road forks here.”

“Guess so,” Skye noted, looking between the two different pathways. Alongside the left path, a sign was staked into the ground, reading, ‘ _Carnelian Town, 15 miles’_. The road had been paved, compared to the path on the right which appeared to be rough, rocky, and leading into the mountains.

Skye began to walk down the left road. “C’mon. Let’s stick to the trainer path.”

“Hang on!” Kierra called.

Skye stopped, looking back at Kierra over her shoulder. “Hm? What?”

Kierra, whose eyes were glued to her phone, pointed down the mountain path. “This way might be faster.”

Briar exchanged uncertain looks with Skye, asking, “Through the mountainside? Are you sure?”

“Yeah! My Xtransciever is saying it’s a shortcut,” Kierra explained, holding the phone screen out for them to see the map on it. “We can save almost two hours by going that way.”

Briar took a moment to ponder this information. “If we can get to Carnelian two hours early, then I can spend some time training for the contest in Cerulean....” Well, that settled that. “Okay. Let’s—”

“Nu-uh,” Skye interrupted. “We should stick to the trainer path.”

Briar and Kierra looked at each other in surprise. “What?” Briar asked. “But the mountainside is a shortcut.”

“And shortcuts are a good way of getting lost,” Skye said, her tone snippy. “Without signs or anything they just turn into longcuts. I don’t wanna spend another night stuck in the wilderness.” She very noticeably looked at Kierra. “Besides, do you really think _she_ can manage a hike on terrain like that? We should stick to the trainer path.”

“I can handle myself!” Kierra retorted.

“Oh really?” Skye pressed. “Then what was with all the complaining you did yesterday?”

“I made it through Mt. Moon, didn’t I?”

“Right. And how many days were you lost for before _we_ got you out?”

“Guys, c’mon. Stop fighting,” Briar chastised, stepping between them. “This is getting ridiculous.”

Kierra and Skye both turned their heads away and Briar sighed. “Look, let’s take the mountainside path. The best case scenario, we get to Carnelian early. Worst case scenario, we get a little side-tracked.”

Briar could feel Skye’s eyes drilling holes into him. “But who knows?” he added. “There might be a lot of cool mountain Pokemon we can run into along the way. You _do_ wanna catch more Pokemon, don’t you?”

Skye seemed to falter at that suggestion, pressing her lips into a hard line. Briar smirked before glancing up in feigned confusion. “ _How_ many did Lizzie say she had again? Four?” Briar looked down at his hand, counting on his fingers. “And you only have—”

“ _Fine_!” Skye interjected, beginning to march forward on the mountain path. “But when we get lost, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

As Briar and Kierra followed after Skye, the three began to make their way along the mountain path. For the most part, Kierra had little complaining to do about the terrain, and Skye kept any snarky remarks she had to herself. Briar had never felt so grateful for awkward silence.

Not long into their hike, Briar stopped short. “Hold up.”

Squirtle bumped into the backs of Briar’s legs and looked up at the trainer curiously. Briar pointed down the trail. “It looks like the path up ahead gets pretty narrow,” he noted, and Skye peeked over his shoulder at the path.

Sure enough, the path ahead looked far thinner than the one they had been walking on. While the drop on the edge of the path didn’t appear to be steep, it was still definitely a long way down if one of them fell. Briar looked back to his companions. “We should probably take it one person at a time.” He thumbed to himself. “I’ll go first.”

The group then began their walk across the narrow path one by one with Briar at the front and Kierra in the back. Snivy, who sat atop Kierra’s head, whimpered nervously and hid himself beneath her hat.

“It’s okay, Snivy,” Kierra assured. “It’s really not that steep!”

Briar glanced back at the two with a small smile, then focused his attention onto Skye who had her eyes averted to the ground. She was definitely still annoyed by their choice of paths.

“Hey, maybe once we get to Carnelian, I’ll let you battle me,” Briar suggested playfully.

The mention of battling seemed to get Skye to perk up. She lifted her head to look at Briar, a small smirk forming. “Oh? Did my battle in Pewter City impress you so much that you’re willing to give me a chance now?”

“Don’t let it get to your head,” Briar scoffed. “Charmeleon and I just need to get some training in before—”

“ _Oh my gosh!_ ”

The sound of Kierra’s yelling made both Briar and Skye jump in alarm. Squirtle nearly tripped and slid down the mountain side, needing to hold onto Skye’s leg for support.

“W-what is it?” Skye sputtered, facing Kierra. “What’s wrong?”

But Kierra didn’t appear to be frightened or upset—in fact, Skye would have thought she looked positively elated. Her eyes were shining, and she was leaning forward, as if she was trying to look at something along the edge.

“It’s a _Fire Stone_!” she squealed.

“A Fire Stone?” Briar blinked. “Like, the ones Pokemon use to evolve?”

Upon closer inspection, Briar and Skye could make out a decently sized, shining rock sitting a few feet below them on the slope. Its core seemed to be burning with flames, but it looked different than how Fire Stones appeared in pictures.

“Yeah, but not like what you’re thinking of!” Kierra bubbled, practically bouncing on her heels as Snivy peeked out from beneath her hat to see what was going on. “These bigger stones are where the smaller ones that trainers use come from! And some of them are thousands of years old!”

“So…” Skye started, unimpressed. “It’s a really old rock.”

“ _Exactly_! Isn’t that exciting?!” Kierra beamed. She inched her way closer to the ledge and Snivy let out a panicked breath. “I need to get a closer look!”

“Kierra!” Briar called, a bad feeling twisting in his gut. “That’s probably not safe!”

“I’ll be fine!” Kierra insisted, stepping onto the slope and sliding down a few feet nearer to the ledge where the Fire Stone sat. “I only want to get a little closer!”

“What are you doing, you bonehead!?” Skye yelled, stepping toward her. “Get back here!”

“Stop worrying!” Kierra assured. “It’s only a few feet down. I can climb right back up.” She inched her way closer to the stone and Snivy gripped onto her head for dear life. “Now, let’s see about getting a sample…”

But just as Kierra stepped foot onto the ledge with the Fire Stone, she could feel the earth begin to shift beneath her feet. She blinked, looking down, only to gasp when she saw the ground was beginning to split.

Hearing the crack of rock, Briar immediately called, “Kierra!”

“Crap!” Skye scowled, leaping forward in an attempt to grab Keirra’s hand before the earth totally gave way.

Kierra reached her hand out, grasping onto Skye’s as tightly as she could. But the ground crumbled beneath her and she yelped as she started to slide down the cliffside. Skye inhaled sharply, tumbling forward as Kierra’s weight jerked her down with her, sending her sliding down as well. Squirtle let out a cry of alarm, leaping into his shell and spinning down the cliff after his trainer.

“Skye! Kierra!” Briar yelled, stepping forward and looking over the ledge.

The tumble down the cliffside was rough, Snivy screaming at the top of his lungs the entire time. Luckily, the mountain’s slope was enough to keep them from falling straight to the bottom. Skye managed to slide to the ground first, with Kierra making a rougher crash-landing on top of her just moments later. Squirtle slid after them, leaping out of his shell to check on his trainer as soon as he reached her.

“Are you guys okay!?” Briar called from above them.

Skye and Kierra both groaned in pain as Kierra climbed off of Skye’s back. Snivy looked as if he had just seen his life flash before his eyes as he panted and continued to cling onto the top of Kierra’s head.

Skye winced, rising to her feet and rubbing her back. “Yeah, we’re fine!” she called back to Briar.

Looking up, she saw just how far they had fallen. The mountainside itself wasn’t all that steep, but climbing back up would still be difficult. Skye thought that she might be able to pull it off, but she had her doubts about Kierra.

“I… I-I’ll make my way down to you, okay!?”

“No! Stay there! It’s too dangerous!” Skye responded. “We’ll try to get back up to where you are! Just stay put for now so we don’t lose you!”

“All right!” Briar conceded. “Just be careful!”

Skye sighed, brushing the dirt off of her tank top. She looked down at her Pokemon with a frown and gave him a pat on the head. “Are you okay, Squirtle?” she asked, looking him over for injuries. “You didn’t need to chase us like that…”

Squirtle gave her a confident smile, pounding his fist against the hard surface of his shell. “Squirt!”

Skye let out a relieved breath. Kierra slowly rose to her own feet with a wince and Skye glanced at her, unamused. “Well, this stinks…”

Kierra frowned, picking up Snivy from off of her head and cradling him in her arms as he collected himself from his panic attack. “What do you think we should do?”

“We need to find a way back up, obviously.”

“I know _that_ ,” Kierra retorted. “I meant _how_? Do you think we could climb it?””

“I doubt that,” Skye muttered, giving Kierra a once over.

Kierra flushed bright red. “Why are you looking at me that way!?”

“No reason,” Skye dismissed, turning away. “Let’s just try to find a way around.”

With that, the two began to walk, staying close to the mountain wall in hopes of finding an easier path back up to Briar. The walk remained mostly silent aside from the few remarks Kierra made about their surroundings.

Skye was doing her best to keep her bubbling anger over the situation at bay, but each word Kierra spoke made the task more difficult. Squirtle could sense the tension, nervously glancing up at his trainer every now and then, as if expecting some sort of explosion. But Skye kept her thoughts to herself.

At least, she did until Kierra asked, “Hey, can we stop for a bit?”

Skye stopped dead in her tracks. “Why?” she asked, not turning to face her companion. “We have to keep moving so we can get back to Briar.”

Kierra winced, sensing the tension. She exchanged nervous glances with Snivy before hesitantly saying, “My leg is a little sore, that’s all. I think I may have twisted it a bit back when we fell.”

Kierra glanced down at the leg in question. Her deep blue tights covered her skin from eyeview, but she was sure that a nasty bruise was beginning to form around her knee. She had done her best to keep quiet about it, but the throbbing sensation was starting to slow her down.

Skye waved a hand dismissively. “If it’s not broken then you’re fine.” She continued her trek forward. Clenching the straps of her backpack, she murmured, “We wouldn’t have even fallen in the first place if you’d just listened to me and Briar.”

Kierra shifted her attention from her leg back to Skye. “What was that?”

“I _said,_ ” Skye started aggresively, turning on her heel to face Kierra, “we wouldn’t have fallen down that stupid slope to begin with if you’d just listened to us and stayed off of that ledge.”

“I was only trying to—!”

“Trying to _what_?” Skye spat. “Be selfish? Get yourself killed?”

“Of course not!”

“Well, that’s not how I saw it.”

Kierra avoided Skye’s gaze, unsure of what to say. Skye let out a frustrated breath, continuing, “Look, if you’re gonna be traveling with us then you need to have some common sense and listen to the people who know what they’re talking about. I don’t care how smart you think you are, the real world is different than what you’ll find in any book.” She pointed a finger at Kierra accusingly, and Kierra pressed her lips into a hard line.

The bubbling anger inside of Skye had boiled over. Deep down, she knew that scolding Kierra for what had happened wasn’t going to do them any good. However, she couldn’t stop herself as she heatedly continued on with, “Briar and I could have been halfway to Cerulean City right now if you hadn’t been holding us up for the past three days. At this rate we’ll never get there.”

Skye turned her back on Kierra, continuing to walk forward. “If you can’t handle traveling then just take a plane to Cinnabar and stop burdening us.”

Kierra stood still, her hands shaking just the slightest. Skye’s words cut deep. It wasn’t like she didn’t know she had held them up a bit, but she didn’t realize Skye felt she was _that_ much of a hindrance. Snivy stared at Skye in astonishment before looking to his own trainer sympathetically.

Kierra bit her lip. “I’ll find my own way, then!” she retorted a little louder than she had anticipated. “You can get out of here by yourself!”

She spun around, and despite the throbbing ache in her knee, she ran away as quickly as her legs would carry her.

“Squir!” Squirtle called after her.

Skye blinked in alarm, turning around to see Kierra disappearing into the trees. “H-hey! Where are you—!?” But before she could press any further, Kierra was gone.

Skye did nothing but stand in shock for a moment until she finally let out a scowl, kicking the dirt at her feet. “...Fine! No skin off my back! Let her get lost!” Skye fumed, turning back around to continue her march forward. “Let’s _go_ , Squirtle!”

Squirtle hesitated, looking to the trees that Kierra had gone through before frowning and following after Skye.

As the two continued to walk in strained silence, Skye began to huff and puff. “Find her own way… Yeah, that’s a good one,” she grumbled, getting Squirtle’s attention. “I give her five minutes before she’s lost and two days before she’s on a plane back to Unova!”

“Squirtle…” the Pokemon frowned, hanging his head.

Skye glanced down at her Pokemon. “What are you so glum for? Forget her! We don’t need her!” She placed a hand to her chest. “We’re Team Pallet, remember? Not Team Pallet plus some Fossil Nerd.”

Squirtle said nothing, simply looking at his trainer with sad eyes. Skye sighed, rubbing the back of her head as she looked behind her. “Hopefully she doesn’t go too deep into the mountains, though,” she mused. “Someone as clueless as her could get stuck for days.”

Skye could easily picture Kierra getting trapped in some cave or winding up lost among the maze of trees. She reckoned Kierra was totally helpless without her and Briar there to guide her. She bit the inside of her cheek, the slightest bit of guilt beginning to creep its way into her mind.

“... What do I care!?” Skye questioned, shaking the thought away as she rustled her hair angrily. “If she’s so smart then she can figure it out herself! Now come on! Let’s find Briar!”

Before Skye could take another step forward, a low growl was emitted from her stomach. Squirtle looked up at her with concern before looking down at his own stomach. With everything that had happened since they fell, the fact that lunch rolled around had completely slipped Skye’s mind. She hadn’t realized just how hungry she had gotten.

“... I guess maybe we _could_ use a small break,” she conceded, sliding her backpack from off of her shoulders and taking a seat on a nearby log.

Normally Briar was the one to hang onto all of their food and cooking supplies, so Skye supposed she and Squirtle would need to make do with whatever she could scrounge up from the inside of her backpack.

Remembering the apples from the day before, Skye eagerly unzipped the front pocket of her bag where she had placed them. Her face fell upon looking inside.

“Huh!? Where’d they all go!?” she sputtered, reaching her hand into the depths of her bag. She and Squirtle had picked almost a dozen of them, but now only three remained. She sneered, frustrated. “I’ll bet Kierra ate them while I was asleep. I _thought_ I saw apple cores around the tents!”

Squirtle looked unfazed by the ridiculous accusation. “Squirtle…”

“Whatever…” Skye sighed, letting it go as she took a single apple from the bag. “I guess we should make them last just in case.” Twisting the fruit in her hands, she broke it in half, handing a piece to Squirtle. “Here. We’ll share.”

Squirtle began to happily munch on the fruit in his hands as Skye took a bite herself. She wondered if Kierra had actually packed any food in her own bag for herself and Snivy. She glanced down at the two shining red apples sitting at the bottom of her bag. Guilt washed over her once more.

* * *

_‘If you can’t handle traveling then just take a plane to Cinnabar and stop burdening us.’_

Kierra chewed at her bottom lip as she marched through the mountainside with Snivy trailing behind her. Skye’s words had continued to echo through her head since she had run off. They stung down to her very core.

“Who does she think she is, anyways!?” Kierra ranted, tightening her grip on her backpack straps. “I’ve been nothing but nice this whole time! I’m not a burden!”

Something inside of Kierra stirred, remembering exactly how many times they had stopped to take breaks after her complaints the day before. The possibility that they could have been leaving Carnelian by now if they hadn’t was one that she couldn’t shake from her mind.

“But… I guess I have been holding them up a little…” Kierra frowned, remembering the way Skye had reached out to grab her back on the cliff. “And maybe I should have listened to them about the Fire Stone.” She looked back at Snivy. “Do you think it’s really my fault that this is happening, Snivy?”

Snivy perked up, quickly shaking his head. “Sni sni!”

Kierra sighed, closing her eyes. “Sometimes I just—!”

Kierra’s train of thought was cut short as she felt her foot catch on something. She gasped, tumbling forward and landing flat on her face.

She winced, sitting up and rubbing her nose. “Ow, ow, ow!”

Snivy ran to his trainer’s side. “Snivy!”

Kierra hissed, pulling her hand away from her nose to check for blood. When there was nothing, she sighed in relief. “I’m okay…” she assured, giving Sniy a pat on the head. “I probably should have watched where I was going.”

Snivy frowned, unconvinced as he continued to check her over for any sign of injury. The throbbing that Kierra had felt in her knee before came back and she gritted her teeth, rubbing the spot in an attempt to soothe it. She had gotten so caught up in thinking about what Skye had said that the pain had managed to shift to the back of her mind.

Now it hurt worse than before due to her own carelessness. She had ran away from Skye in the first place to prove that she could find her own way back—but now she wondered if she would be able to get there at all.

Maybe Skye was right.

Kierra’s frown deepened, and she lowered her voice, “Hey, Snivy? Do you think that maybe… we should go back to Unova after all?”

Snivy blinked, looking at her in surprise. Kierra wrapped her arms around her knees, hugging them close to her chest. “I mean, it’s not like I really need to go through all this trouble doing something I’m not even cut out for… I could just… keep taking classes like before, you know?” She looked to her Pokemon, offering him a small, sad smile. “It’d probably be better that way.”

Snivy frowned, putting a hand to her leg. “Sni…”

It would be so easy. All she would need to do was call her parents and tell them she was returning. They would be more than happy to have her home again, and she would get to be back in the library at Professor Juniper’s lab where she belonged.

Alone.

She wouldn’t tire herself out feeling like she had something to prove. She wouldn’t talk the ears off of people who really didn’t care to listen. She wouldn’t burden anyone. It would just be her and her books, like it had always been.

Skye and Briar would move on and forget about her. She wouldn’t drag them down anymore. Likewise, she would move on and forget about them. She would be too wrapped up in her studies to worry about silly things like traveling.

Everyone would be happier that way. She would be happier that way.

Wouldn’t she?

“Sni sni!”

Kierra was pulled from her thoughts, shifting her attention onto Snivy. He was poking his head into a hole that had been dug in the ground. She quickly put together that must have been what caused her to trip. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it wasn’t the only one. There were dozens of holes in the ground and along the mountain walls just like it.

“...Huh?” Kierra blinked, looking around. “What… is all this?”

“Sni?” Snivy lifted his head out of the hole, looking back to Kierra.

“There’s so many of them,” she noted, putting a hand to her chin. “It’s no wonder I tripped…” She scrunched her face in confusion. “But… what are they all doing here?”

“Vy?” Snivy tilted his head, looking around the area. He suddenly perked up, rushing over to a set of tracks on the ground and pointing to them for Kierra to see. “Snivy, sni!”

Kierra raised her brows, carefully shifting her weight to crawl over to where Snivy stood. She shook off her bag, digging inside to pull out a magnifying glass.

“Hm… These look like…” she mused, leaning in to get a closer look. She lit up. “Oh! I know! They’re tracks from Sandshrew and Sandslash!”

Snivy smiled, pleased that his observation seemed to have lifted his trainer’s spirits. Kierra put her magnifying glass away, taking out her notebook to jot down what they had found. “This must be their migration route! I guess it makes sense—Kanto _is_ beginning to enter its wet season. They must be moving further inland to dryer land.” 

Snivy gaped in awe. “Snivy…”

“I guess we got pretty lucky. It looks like we just missed their pack.” Kierra closed her notebook, placing it back inside of her bag. “The dampness can make them pretty irritable and aggressive during their migration season.” She looked around the area. “I wonder how many of them are moving through here?”

If one pack had passed through the area, Kierra was sure that others must have been nearby. If that was the case, it was likely the different packs would fight each other for the driest territory. She knew it would be for the best if she and Snivy got out of the mountains as soon as they could.

That was when a thought struck her.

Kierra bit nervously at the tip of her thumb. “...I… I hope that Briar and Skye will be all right. I’d hate to think of what would happen if they ran into one of these packs…”

Snivy blinked. “Vy?”

Kierra had a feeling that even if Briar did encounter one of the packs, that he would be able to hold his own. He seemed to have enough experience as a lone traveler and trainer to handle himself. It was possible he had even encountered similar situations in the past.

Skye was a different story.

Survival courses or not, Skye hadn’t been on the road much longer than Kierra had. And even if Skye loved to boast, Squirtle and Nidoran weren’t exactly experienced battlers. A pack of angry Sandshrew and Sandslash would cause Skye far more trouble than they would for Briar.

She pressed her lips into a hard line. The logical part of Kierra was screaming at her to let it go. If Skye claimed to know so much about survival, then she should be able to get herself out of whatever situation she got stuck in.The petty part of her simply wanted to let Skye find her own way, while she and Snivy looked out for themselves.

But another part of her was louder. As angry as she felt, the thought of leaving Skye alone in the mountains to a pack of territorial Pokemon didn’t sit right with her. If Skye somehow found herself in danger because she wasn’t aware of the threats around her, Kierra knew she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself.

Snivy was watching her with sympathetic eyes, and she groaned inwardly.

“I can be mad at her later!” Kierra whined, looking at her Pokemon. “I should at least warn her and make sure she gets out of here okay, right?”

“Snivy!” Snivy chirped, offering her a determined nod.

Kierra slowly rose to her feet. Her leg was throbbing, but she knew she would have to grit through the pain if she wanted to reach Skye before anything happened. Snivy seemed to take notice and wrapped his vines around her leg to give her some support.

Kierra let out a small sigh of relief, giving him a smile. “Thank you. That helps.”

Snivy beamed up at her, and Kierra slung her backpack over her shoulder with new determination.

“Let’s find Skye!”

* * *

Skye stared at the chewed up applecore in her hand. She and Squirtle had ended up being hungrier than she thought and had gone through another apple. Now only a single one was left sitting in her bag. As her stomach growled, she inwardly cursed herself for allowing Briar to be the one to carry all of their food supplies.

She wondered if Kierra and Snivy were getting as hungry as she was.

“Squirtle!”

Skye looked down to see Squirtle tugging on… _something_ that had stuffed itself inside of her backpack.

“Hey!” Skye rose to her feet. “Get outta there!”

After a moment, the backpack rustled and a Sandshrew poked its head out from inside. “Sand?”

Skye blinked. “A Sandshrew?” Something about the Pokemon seemed familiar. She narrowed her eyes. “Wait a second… Are you the same one from yesterday?”

Sandshrew grinned with a nod. “Shrew!”

“Uh-huh,” Skye intoned, putting her hands on her hips. “So, you’ve been following us, then.”

Sandshrew tilted his head, and Skye merely sighed. “Sorry, bud. We’re running pretty low, so—!” But just as Skye reached out to take her backpack, Sandshrew suddenly grabbed the strap in its mouth and began to make a run for it.

Skye gasped, stumbling forward. “Hey! That’s my backpack!”

Sandshrew ignored her, sprinting on ahead—backpack and all.

Skye scowled and made a mad dash for the little thief. “Get back here!”

Squirtle loyally followed after his trainer. “Squirt!”

Sandshrew bolted on ahead, and Skye watched helplessly as it made a dive into a burrow in the earth. She dove after it, sliding along the ground and jamming her arms into the hole. “You stupid, little—!” Skye barked as Sandshrew crawled deep out of reach.

Squirtle finally caught up to Skye, panting as he approached her side. Skye rose to her feet, dusting off her shorts as she looked down at her partner. “Looks like we’ll have to draw him out with an attack,” she decided, pointing into the hole. “Squirtle! Use Water Gun!”

Squirtle nodded obediently. “Squirtle!” He took a deep breath, breathing out a blast of water into the depths of the burrow. “Squir!”

There was no response from the Sandshrew. Skye tapped her foot impatiently. “Come back here and fight me, you coward!”

Squirtle watched the hole with baited breath, readying himself for his next attack. However, when he began to feel small tremors from beneath his feet, he paused. Blinking, he looked around and froze with horror upon what he saw next.

“Squirt…”

Skye took no notice of the tremors or Squirtle’s change in expression. Instead, she squatted down, yelling into the hole, “I’m not letting you get away, thief!”

Squirtle grabbed Skye’s arm and gave it a shake. “Squirt!”

“Squirtle!” Skye chastised, yanking her arm away. “C’mon, help me ou—!”

But she froze as her gaze followed Squirtle’s. Just a few yards away, over a dozen Sandshrew and Sandslash had poked their head out from holes scattered all over the ground. They appeared to be far less than happy, low growls coming from each one of them.

Skye lept back, rubbing her neck with a nervous laugh. “Oh. U-uh. Hey, guys!” She waved a hand toward the hole she had been examining. “Your pal here took my stuff, so I was just—!”

A Sandslash leapt forward, using his claws to kick up a gust of sand, aiming it directly at Skye and Squirtle.

Squirtle yelped, jumping behind Skye as she winced, putting a hand over her eyes to shield it from the Sand Attack. “Augh! Hey!”

“Sandslash!” Sandshlash barked, stomping its foot against the ground.

“Fine!” Skye retorted. “That’s how you wanna play?” She looked down at Squirtle. “Squirtle, Water Gun!”

Squirtle nodded, jumping forward and blasting the Sandslash with a burst of water. “Squirtle!”

Sandslash jumped out of the way, dodging the attack as it soaked a couple of Sandshrew who stood in wait behind their companion. The Pokemon cried out in pain, wiping down their faces with their paws. The Sandshrew and Sandslash that stood around them all fixated their gazes on Skye and Squirtle, their growling from before growing louder.

Skye flinched, swallowing as she took a step backward. “They… don’t look happy, do they?”

“S-squirtle…”

“Sand!” one of the Sandslash cried out, its claws glowing as it made a charge for Skye and Squirtle—the other Pokemon following close behind it.

Skye gasped, stumbling backward. “F-forget the backpack!” she managed, turning on her heel to run in the opposite direction. “Let’s get out of here!”

“Squirtle!” Squirtle cried in agreement, following behind her.

The pair tore through the mountainside as quickly as their legs would carry them. Skye heaved heavy breaths, feeling the earth beneath her rumble as the Sandshrew and Sandslash started to gain on them.

“We’ve gotta lose ‘em! We’ve gotta lose ‘em! We’ve gotta lose ‘em!” Skye panicked, charging forward without much thought as to where she was actually going or what her plan would be once she got there.

Squirtle suddenly skidded to a stop behind her, gasping sharply and crying out, “Squir!”

Skye continued on running, but turned her head to look at her Pokemon. “W-why are you—!?”

But Squirtle’s reason for stopping suddenly struck Skye as she felt the ground under her feet start to give way. She looked down and gasped, seeing how close she had run to the cliff’s edge. Her heel slipped, and all she could do was yell as she began to fall.

“Oh shi—!”

Skye must have fallen for no more than a second before she felt a strong grip and a tug at her wrist, keeping her hanging in mid-air.

“Gotcha!”

Skye snapped her head up, gaping at what she saw.

“Kierra!?”

Kierra hung onto Skye’s wrist for dear life, gritting her teeth as she attempted to pull her to safety. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. “Just… Just hang on!”

Skye continued to stare at her with wide eyes, only briefly looking down to see the pebbles toppling off of the cliffside beneath her feet, falling to the ground far below. If Kierra couldn’t get her up, there was a chance they could both fall.

“W-what are you doing!?” Skye sputtered, feeling her wrist begin to slip out of Kierra’s grasp.

“You can thank me later!” Kierra responded, turning her head to look at the Pokemon standing beside her. “Snivy! Squirtle! Help!”

Squirtle and Snivy nodded.

“Sni!”

“Tle!”

Squirtle wrapped his arms around Kierra’s waist as Snivy wrapped his vines around Skye’s stomach, both helping Kierra lift Skye’s weight and bring her back onto the cliff’s edge.

Once Skye was back on land, she collapsed to her knees, panting in heavy breaths as she composed herself. “Oh man…” she breathed, lifting her head to see the dust cloud that was rapidly approaching them in the distance. “What is _wrong_ with these guys!?”

“It’s their migration season. This is when Sandshrew and Sandslash are the most aggressive,” Kierra quickly explained, catching her own breath. “I-I saw the holes and came back to warn you. But it looks like I wasn’t fast enough.”

“Perfect.” Skye growled, jumping to her feet. “C’mon! We have to get out of here!”

Kierra nodded. “R-ri—!” Pain shot through her leg as she attempted to stand. She winced, falling back to the ground and putting a hand to her injured knee. “My leg…”

Skye’s breath caught, eyes widening as she looked from Kierra to the Sandshrew and Sandslash who were now just yards away. “Crap.” She stood her ground. “We’ll just have to battle them, then.”

“W-what?!” Kierra gasped, exchanging looks with Snivy and shaking her head. “But Snivy and I have never been in a battle before!”

“Well, there’s a first time for everything!” Skye dismissed, pointing a finger toward the oncoming Pokemon. “Squirtle, Water Gun!”

Squirtle leapt forward without hesitation. “Squirtle!”

Following his trainer’s orders, Squirtle inhaled, letting loose the strongest blast of water that he could muster. He dosed the Sandslash that led the way, bringing it to a skidding stop as it tried to block the water with his claws.

The other Pokemon came to a halt behind their leader as it lowered its claws, shaking off whatever water it could and readying itself for battle.

“Slash!”

Skye pushed her palm forward. “Rapid Spin!”

Squirtle leapt into his shell, spinning across the ground and directly into the hoard of Sandshrew and Sandslash—sweeping several of them off of their feet and knocking them to the ground.

Kierra watched from her spot on the ground as Squirtle and Skye continued on battling the enraged Pokemon. Squirtle had done a decent job holding its own at first, but it was still outnumbered and visibly growing tired quickly. His bursts of water came slower, some missing entirely as it attempted to dodge attacks coming from all sides.

All Kierra could do was watch with wide eyes. A feeling of uselessness washed over her. Skye and Squirtle were giving it their all in the battle, but she couldn’t even call out a single attack for Snivy. Doubt flooded her mind, as she inwardly wondered if trying to help would just result in making things worse yet again.

She bit her lip, trembling fingers clutching at her skirt.

“Sni!” Snivy piped up, pulling Kierra from her thoughts.

He was watching her with firm eyes. Kierra froze. Despite everything, Snivy wanted to try his best to help out how he could—his lack of experience didn’t matter. It was at least worth a shot. Doing their best would be better than sitting by and doing nothing at all.

As Squirtle honed in on one of the Sandshrew with a Tackle attack, the leader Sandslash jumped out from ground below, hovering above Squirtle from behind.

“Oh no!” Skye gasped, eyes widening. “Squirtle, look out!”

Squirtle skidded to a stop, turning his head to lock his eyes with Sandslash. “Squirt!?”

There was no time to think about it. She needed to stand on her own two feet and act. Skye was counting on her. Kierra wasn’t about to let her down.

“S-Snivy…!” Kierra started, pointing forward. “Use Vine Whip!”

Snivy was quick to follow orders, jumping into the fight. “Snivy!”

Two long vines shot forward from Snivy’s neck, striking Sandslash in the side. Sandslash was knocked to the ground before it could leave a mark on Squirtle. Snivy puffed out his chest triumphantly. Squirtle lit up, running to stand beside Snivy.

Skye gawked at the sight before her, looking between Kierra in Snivy. But she quickly shook it off, offering Kierra a thumbs up. “Nice save! Thank you!”

Kierra gave Skye a small smile in return, nodding before her attention focused back on the opposing Pokemon. She pressed a knuckle to her mouth, knitting her brows together. “But… it looks like there are too many of them for Snivy and Squirtle to handle on their own…”

Skye let out a huff. “Y-yeah. If I had my backpack I could use Nidoran.” She shook the thought away. “I guess we just need to keep giving it everything we’ve got and hope for the best.”

Kierra’s eyes scanned over the Pokemon in front of her, her gaze shifting onto Snivy and Squirtle. She paused, her eyes widening. “Wait! I think I have an idea!”

“You do?!”

Kierra nodded. “There’s nothing Sandshrew and Sandslash hate more than the rain—that’s the whole reason they’re migrating to begin with.” She tapped her fist into her palm. “So what if we made it rain?”

“Huh?” Skye cocked a brow. “What are you talking about?”

Kierra pointed to Squirtle. “If your Squirtle combines Water Gun and Rapid Spin while it’s in the air, the water will sprinkle all over them!” She lifted her finger to point into the air. “That might make them retreat back to the burrows!”

Skye flinched, watching as Squirtle tackled into one of the Sandshrew. “T-that’s a great idea and all, but Squirtle can’t fly!”

“Snivy can help with that!”

Skye watched on as Snivy assisted Squirtle with a dodge using its Vine Whip. Her expression lit up as she put the pieces together. “I get it!” she bursted, looking at her Pokemon. “Squirtle! Did you catch all that!?”

Squirtle glanced back at her with a confident nod. “Squirtle!”

Skye grinned. “Then let’s give it a shot!”

Kierra let out a breath. They could do this. “Snivy, throw Squirtle into the air with your Vine Whip attack!”

“And Squirtle, once you're up there, combine your Water Gun and Rapid Spin!” Skye added.

“Sni!” Snivy chirped, wrapping his vines around Squirtle’s shell.

“Squirtle!” Squirtle called, looking back to Snivy, giving him a thumbs up to let him know he was ready to go.

Snivy grinned, and with a slight strain, lifted his vines and tossed Squirtle high into the air.

Once Squirtle had reached his maximum height, Skye called out, “Go, Squirtle!”

Following his trainer’s command, Squirtle slipped into his shell and began to spin at a rapid pace. Moments later, water shot out of his head hole and rained down onto the ground below.

The Sandshrew and Sandslash halted their charge on Snivy, skidding to a stop as they looked to the sky above. Many of them began to wince, covering their heads in an attempt to protect themselves from the drops of water.

The leader Sandslash scowled, looking around as many of its comrades began to curl up and roll away to safety. Gritting its teeth, the Sandslash was soon to follow, jumping into the air as it burrowed underground and out of sight.

The Sandshrew and Sandslash that remained took that as their cue to follow suit, jumping into the air and digging into the ground, or rolling away to follow the others. Soon enough, all of them had turned their backs on the group to retreat.

“It worked!” Skye beamed. “They’re leaving!”

Kierra laughed, clapping her hands together. “We really did it!”

As Squirtle began his fall, Snivy caught him using his Vine Whip, gently lowering him. Squirtle popped out of his shell with a grin, leaping into the air as he and Snivy high fived each other.

Skye crouched down to their level with a grin. “Snivy, thanks for your help.” She looked to her own Pokemon. “You were great too, Squirtle.”

“Snivy!”

“Squirt!”

The two Pokemon exchanged grins once more, slapping their tails against each other. Skye’s smile softened as she watched. But after a beat, something began to nag at her in her gut. She inhaled through her nose, standing up straight and turning to face Kierra.

“For someone who’s never battled before, you didn’t do half bad.” Skye put her hands on her hips. “That was a real game plan you came up with.”

Kierra blinked. “O-oh. Well, it was nothing special,” she dismissed, her cheeks dusting pink as she waved Skye off. “I just considered their basic ecology, that’s all!”

As Kierra rambled on, guilt continued to gnaw away at Skye’s insides. Despite everything she had said and done, and despite Kierra’s injured leg, she had still come back and tried to warn her about the Sandshrew. She still wanted to help. The crummy feeling it left her with made her stomach churn.

She had been a jerk.

Skye averted her gaze, rubbing at her forearm. “Hey, uh, look…” she started sheepishly, shifting her weight between her feet. “About before—!”

But Kierra wasn’t paying attention. Instead, she raised a brow. “What’s that?”

Skye blinked, following Kierra’s gaze. A few feet away, something yellow and round was poking out from one of the holes in the ground. Moments later, a Sandshrew popped its head out—Skye’s backpack strap wrapped around it.

Skye gasped, pointing a finger accusingly. “It’s the one that stole my backpack!”

“Huh?”

Skye growled, ruffling her hair with her hands. “It’s that Sandshrew that was hanging around our camp yesterday! It’s been following us and it stole my stuff!”

“What? Really?” Kierra questioned, scrunching her face in confusion. “I wonder if it’s because of the food you gave it…” She paused, eyes widening as she gasped. “Hey! I bet it was the one who ruined your tent!”

The image of the eaten apple cores scattered around the tents that Skye had noticed that morning suddenly popped into her mind. She took in a sharp breath. “The apple cores!” She shook with rage. “That’s it! We’ve got a score to settle once and for all!” She reached into her pocket, pulling out an empty Poke Ball and enlarging it. “Squirtle! Offense!”

Squirtle leapt in front of Sandshrew. “Squirt!”

“Are you going to catch it?!”

“You bet I am! Once it’s my Pokemon I’ll teach it a thing or two about manners!” Skye assured, pointing at the Sandshrew who was climbing its way out of the hole. “Squirtle, Water Gun!”

“Squirtle!” Squirtle cried, following his trainer’s orders as he unleashed a jet of water onto the Sandshrew.

Sandshrew attempted to jump out of the way, but it was too slow with the added weight of the backpack and got doused in water insead.

Skye snapped her fingers. “Piece of cake!”

But while Skye was distracted with basking in her hit, Sandshrew shook off the backpack. Leaping into the air, he fired a Swift attack in Squirtle’s direction.

Kierra’s eyes widened. “Skye! Watch out!”

“Huh?” Skye blinked, focusing her attention back onto Sandshrew. Her jaw slacked as she saw the bright stars hurtling toward Squirtle. “S-Squirtle, dodge!”

Squirtle jumped into the air, the stars narrowly avoiding the bottoms of his feet and, instead, crashing into a boulder behind them.

“Oh man,” Skye sighed, looking to Kierra with a smile. “Thank you.” Kierra smiled back as Skye pressed on with, “Squirtle, get in close with a Rapid Spin!”

“Squirt!” Squirtle withdrew himself into his shell. As he began to spin, he moved forward and closed in on Sandshrew.

“Sand!?” Sandshrew’s eyes widened, looking left and right for a way to escape. “Shrew! Shrew!”

Skye grinned, clenching her fist. “Now use Water Gun!”

Water poured out from Squirtle’s shell as he spun and made direct contact with Sandshrew. The critical hit of water and sheer force sent Sandshrew flying backward.

“Sand!” the Pokemon cried as it roughly hit the ground below. It winced, attempting to rise back to its feet.

“Okay, Poke Ball, go!” Skye called, throwing the Poke Ball at Sandshrew.

‘ _Excellent!_ ’ the Poke Ball chimed as it made contact.

Sandshrew looked up at the ball as he became encased in a red light. The glow swallowed up his figure, and in the blink of an eye he was inside the ball. The ball hit the ground with a soft ‘ _thump_ ’.

Skye and Kierra waited with baited breath as the ball rocked from side to side on the ground. After three shakes, the ball stopped, letting out a soft ‘ding’ to signify that the capture had been a success.

Skye beamed from ear to ear, rushing over to the Poke Ball and lifting it into the air with pride. “We did it! We just recruited a Sandshrew to Team Skye!”

Squirtle jumped up beside her, pumping his fist. “Squirtle squirt!”

“That’s great, Skye!” Kierra enthused. “I’m sure Sandshrew will be an excellent Pokemon!”

Snivy nodded eagerly. “Sni sni!”

Skye grinned, looking down at her new capture. “I know it will!”

But as Skye stared down at her own reflection on the Poke Ball’s surface, her smile began to fade. Lifting her gaze, she met eyes with Kierra.

“Um, listen…” Skye started, crouching down to Kierra’s level. “About what I was trying to say earlier.” Kierra perked up with a tilt of her head, and Skye glanced to the ground. “I just wanted to say thank you for saving my butt back there. I might’ve been a goner if you hadn’t shown up.”

Kierra laughed lightly, waving a dismissive hand. “I guess you could call us even?” She shrugged. “I mean, you tried to help me when I was messing around with that Fire Stone.” She frowned as her shoulders slumped. “I… probably should have listened to you and Briar. I’m sorry.”

Skye knew it would be so easy to say, ‘I told you so’ or ‘Yeah, you should have’. An hour earlier, she probably would have relished in doing so. But now just the thought of saying something like that left a sour taste in her mouth.

Letting out a long breath, Skye shook her head. “No. Don’t be. I’m the one who should be apologizing.” She pressed her lips into a hard line, tensing her shoulders. “I’ve been kind of a jerk since you joined up with us. I know you’re not used to this sort of thing. I should have been more patient.”

Looking back on it now, her gut twisted. She had been acting no differently than she had with Squirtle and Nidoran after they lost to Forrest. She thought she had learned something that night on Mt. Moon, but obviously it wasn’t that simple. She _still_ had learning to do.

Kierra frowned as Skye continued on with, “I guess maybe I was just really looking forward to being Team Pallet with Briar, so adding someone else to that threw me off my game.” She shook her head. “But… I know that’s not cool to you and Snivy, so…” She looked at Kierra, frowning. “I’m sorry.”

By the tone of her voice and the look in her eyes, Kierra could tell Skye’s apology was a genuine one. Her chest felt a little lighter and she gave Skye a small smile.

“It’s okay, Skye. I get it, really,” Kierra conceded. She put a hand to Snivy’s head. “But you don’t have to worry about me anymore. I think Snivy and I really would be better off going back home.”

Skye blinked. “Huh? What are you talking about?”

“It’s just… I don’t know that we’re really cut out for this lifestyle.” Kierra shrugged, looking down at her injured leg. “I mean, before we came to Kanto, the two of us always sat in Professor Juniper’s library reading books all day.” She wrung her hands together. “That and… I know I’ve been kind of a pain to you and Briar.”

Every stop they had made, every complaint that had left her mouth, every mess up she had caused ran through Kierra’s mind. While Skye had made her frustrations aparent, Briar had kept any he felt to himself—but she was sure he must have been feeling it, too. One part of her wondered if she would have even made it out of Mt. Moon if she hadn’t ran into them.

Kierra curled her fists in her lap as she continued with, “Like you said, if it hadn’t been for me, you might be halfway to Cerulean City already.” She glanced away, letting out a dry laugh. “And right now I can hardly even walk. You two would be better off without me holding you back”

Skye stayed quiet for a long moment, letting Kierra’s words sink in. Kierra felt like a burden, and Skye knew that was her fault. In reality, she was the one who should have been more patient. If today had shown Skye anything, it was that Kierra was more than capable of handling herself, she just needed a push in the right direction.

Skye sighed, holding up her hands. “Okay, first of all, I think you guys are more cut out for this than you think. If it hadn’t been for you and Snivy, Squirtle and I would have really been in a pickle.”

Squirtle nodded as Skye waved a hand to Snivy. “Snivy held his own really well in battle—your sprinkler idea saved all of us.”

Snivy puffed out his chest and Kierra scratched under his chin.

Skye lulled her head from side to side. “And, yeah, maybe we got a little… sidetracked… but that’s all a part of going on adventures, right?” She smiled, lifting up Sandshrew’s Poke Ball. “I mean, if we hadn’t, I wouldn’t have caught this Sandshrew!”

“I know.” Kierra frowned. “But I still don’t know the first thing about traveling or survival. And I’m sure you and Briar don’t want someone like that holding you up all the time.” She glanced away. “I’m sure I’d be nothing more than a burden.”

It was obvious that Kierra had taken everything Skye said to heart, and she wanted to do what she could to make it right.

That was when an idea came to her.

“You said you like learning and stuff, didn’t you? Well, think of this all as an experience to learn something new.” She gave a sheepish smile. “I… know I have a lot of things I still need to learn, too. So…” she shrugged, “maybe we could help each other out?”

Kierra paused. “Help each other out?”

“Yeah! Briar and I could help you learn about traveling, and you could help us learn more about Pokemon,” Skye offered. “And I… could probably learn a thing or two about practicing my patience, too.”

Skye was avoiding meeting Kierra’s eye, but she had a faint shade of pink dusting her cheeks. It was different from the Skye Kierra had gotten to know thus far. She may not have been used to talking like this, but Kierra could tell she was genuinely trying.

“So then,” Kierra started, glancing at Skye carefully, “you’re saying that you really want me to stay? Even after… everything that happened?”

“Yeah. I guess I’d…” Skye trailed off, trying to find the right words. Then it clicked for her and her smile brightened. “I guess I’d like to start over, if you’d like to—y’know, press the reset button on all this. Put everything behind us and…” she hesitated, scratching her cheek, “maybe try to be friends?”

A warmth spread throughout Kierra’s chest as any sadness she felt melted away. While things weren’t guaranteed to be perfect right away, it was a start—and she was more than willing to give it a try.

“I…” Kierra started, her smile slowly growing, “think I’d like that.”

“Okay, then. Let’s start over.” Skye grinned, holding out a hand. “Do you wanna join our team, Kierra?”

Kierra lit up, placing her hand in Skye’s and giving it a shake. “Gladly.”

The churning feeling in Skye’s gut seemed to dissipate entirely as Kierra took her hand. She would do her best to get it right this time. If Kierra was going to give it her all, then she wanted to, too. Plus, she was certain Briar would appreciate the reduced whining and arguing.

She paused, suddenly remembering that Briar was probably worried sick still waiting for them—it had been over an hour since they left. If they didn’t get back soon she was sure he’d start trying to search for them himself.

“We should probably find our way back to Briar,” Skye suggested, rising to her feet. “I’m sure he’s a nervous wreck right about now.”

“You’re probably right,” Kierra agreed, shifting her weight to stand. However, pain shot through her knee once more and she collapsed. “Ow…”

Skye’s brows shot up as she crouched back down. “Hey, you all right?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Kierra assured with a wince. “But I think I really did a number on my leg.”

Skye frowned, looking to Kierra’s leg. She put a hand to her chin in thought. “Well, then… I guess there’s only one thing to do.”

* * *

Briar sat alone on the mountainside. It had been almost two hours, with no Skye or Kierra in sight. He had thought about going after them, but he was afraid that the three might miss each other completely along the way. He settled instead on sending his Pidgeotto to search from the sky.

Fishing out his Poke Gear, he looked down to check the signal bars once again. No dice. It seemed getting a signal all the way up here was impossible. With a sigh, he pocketed the gear and slumped along the rocky wall. He supposed this is what happened when you didn’t take the trainer path.

“Pidgeo!”

Briar quickly lifted his head to see Pidgeotto flying toward him. “Pidgeotto!” He jumped to his feet as he saw two figures limping on the mountain path below his Pokemon.

All his worry instantly washed away into a relieved grin, and he broke out into a jog to meet them.

“Skye! Kierra!”

Skye had her arm around Kierra’s waist, supporting her weight. Kierra had an arm slung over Skye’s shoulder, limping pathetically beside her. Snivy had wrapped his vines around Kierra’s leg and Squirtle hobbled beside him. All four of them were caked in a layer of dirt.

“B-Briar…” Skye managed between heavy pants, “we’re… back…”

Briar fumbled to wrap a supporting arm around Kierra to relieve some of the weight. “What happened—are you guys okay?!”

Skye and Kierra exchanged looks, both realizing just how awful they must have appeared. Explaining everything to Briar would certainly be one heck of a story.

After a moment, they both broke out laughing.

Briar gave the two a puzzled look. “What’s so funny?”

“It’s nothing,” Skye assured with a laugh. She grinned at Kierra. “We’re cool.”

“Yeah,” Kierra agreed, winking. “Everything’s fine.”

Briar said nothing, startled by the sudden shift in mood between the two girls. But the sight of the two so friendly with each other caused his chest to lighten. For the first time, he dared to think that maybe this would work out after all.

He would just need to ask Skye for the story later.

Briar helped Skye get Kierra to a safe location where they could sit and recollect themselves, and Briar had taken it upon himself to examine Kierra’s leg. A large bruise had started to form around her knee, all three of them grimacing at the sight of it.

Briar frowned. “With an injury like this, we might need to stop and rest for the day.” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Some progress we made, huh?”

“I’m sorry,” Kierra apologized guiltily. “It’s my fault.”

Before Briar had the chance to respond, Skye stepped in. “Don’t be. We’ll just rest up and hit the road tomorrow,” she assured. “Besides, this area is perfect to train for my upcoming gym battle!” She looked at Squirtle with burning determination. “Right, Squirtle?”

Squirtle nodded. “Squirtle!”

Briar raised a brow. “Oh? Funny. I thought you were the one who was so set on getting to Cerulean as quickly as possible.”

Skye spun to face him. “Well, maybe I changed my mind!”

“Did you now?” Briar hummed, skeptical.

Skye gasped, ignoring Briar as realization suddenly hit her. “Oh! That reminds me! We need a new team name!”

“What?” Briar’s face scrunched with confusion. “How is that related at all?”

“I’m…” Kierra blinked, “just as lost.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Skye pointed at Kierra. “We can’t be Team Pallet anymore if one of us isn’t from Pallet Town.” Her expression turned into something that Briar recognized as being some sort of smug pride she felt before saying something stupid. “So here’s what I’m thinking: Kierra’s from the Unova region, and we’re from the Kanto region.” She pounded a fist to her chest. “So, from this day forward, we can be Team U-KAN!”

Ah. There it was.

Briar’s expression turned sour. “What? No way.” He crossed his arms. “That’s so lame.”

Skye faltered. “Lame!?” she choked, taken back. “It’s not lame! It’s cool!”

“It’s _really_ lame,” Briar decided. “The Triple Threat Rangers would be way cooler.” He grinned. “Let’s do that!”

“What!?” Skye squinted disbelievingly. “No! _That’s_ lame!” Dropping her voice to a murmur, she added, “Team U-KAN is so much cooler...”

Kierra surprised Skye and Briar both when she chirped up, “I like it!”

For a moment, Skye almost thought that she misheard. Briar seemed to be thinking the same as his expression quickly shifted from smug to gawking. “ _Really_?”

“Sure!” Kierra beamed. “U-KAN? It’s like saying _you can_ do anything, right? It’s inspiring!”

“I-it’s not inspiring!” Briar sputtered. “It’s one of her stupid puns!”

But Skye ignored him, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Yeah! That’s totally right!” she enthused. “I knew you were smart!”

Kierra puffed her chest out in pride. “Of course I am!”

Skye snickered and shot Briar a smug look. “So if _I_ like it and _Kierra_ likes it,” she mused, “that means…”

Kierra sing-songed, “It’s two against one!”

Briar flinched. “Now, wait a second—!”

“Majority rule!” Skye threw her fists into the air. “We’re Team U-KAN!”

Skye and Kierra laughed alongside one another as Briar heaved a long, tired sigh. Even then, a small smile still tugged at his lips. Maybe the road ahead wouldn’t always be smooth, but if the three of them could laugh away their hardships, maybe they would all be okay.

* * *

... _And the journey continues!_


End file.
